


Bride from the Water Tribe

by asongstress1422



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Books, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fire Nation (Avatar), Firebending & Firebenders, Library, Northern Water Tribe, Political Alliances, Romance, Slow Build, Tea, Waterbending & Waterbenders, Zutara month 2017
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-12 05:59:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12952848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asongstress1422/pseuds/asongstress1422
Summary: Katara was taken to the Northern Water Tribe by her grandmother; she was to be protected at all cost, for she was the last of the Southern Water. Once they got there, the North refused to teach her trying to strip her of her worth and turn her into what they wanted, a calm biddable healer to birth the next generation.They failed.And so as punishment they sent her to be a political bride to the Fire Nation.





	1. Greetings from the Fire Nation

**Author's Note:**

> So I've been sitting on this for about three and a half years now. It's not complete but I'm hoping by posting it it will kick my me into gear.  
> I am working on another story at this time so the next chapter will be a bit in coming. 
> 
> Comments are greatly appreciated.

The ship plowed through the sea, every lapping crash against the hull an incessant knock to the waterbender hiding within. The Ocean called to Katara, challenging the woman to test herself against its power. For three weeks Katara had sat huddled in her cabin ignoring that call.

It was so much easier to control her urge to bend when she was on land. Being surrounded constantly by her element in such a powerful force was wearing on her. It would be over soon, though. The watchers had called the first sighting of the Fire Nation with the rising of the sun. Her final destination was growing on the horizon with every minute.

A fist thudded gently against her door. It was Lee, one of the crewmen. They had spent a lot of time together during the voyage. When the pull of the ocean got too strong to be ignored in her room she would find something to distract herself with. Usually helping in the kitchen or cleaning the Mess with Lee.

“Lady Katara,” He began respectfully with a smile. “The Chief wanted you. He was headed to the deck.”

“Thank you for coming to tell me, Lee. I will go see him.”

“If I don’t see you during unloading, just wanted to say it was a pleasure sailing with you, miss.” With a tug on his forelock he disappeared down the walk going about his duties to ready the ship for docking.

The wind picked at the hair she had taken to piling on the top of her head to overcome the heat of traveling in equator waters when she came through the hatchway. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the ocean. The sight of it a soothing balm and a dangerous temptation. She breathed in the scent of salt that saturated the air.

_Gran-Gran, look what I can do!_

The almost forgotten memory of childhood exuberance floated in the air, a painful memory of Before. Who could have predicted that those six little words would lead to this; twice exiled from her homeland and now on her way to the once hated enemy as a political pawn.

“Katara.” The strong bark snapped her head to the prow of the ship. Arnook stood regal in the blue robes, specially dyed silks to combat the heat of the Fire Lands, staring out at the growing island. She came to stand beside him. “Have you finished packing?”

‘There was little to pack,’ she thought spitefully, 'you would not let me bring much, not even my own clothes.’ Her tribal wardrobe of soft furs and blue cloth had been stripped from her. Instead she was now forced to wear the embroidered red silk long robes with trailing sleeves of the fire nation. And they chalked it up to another expense she owed them. She refrained from looking at the Chief of the Northern Tribe, afraid she would finally say what she wanted and ruin everything before its time. Instead she remained staring at the growing distinctions of the port and the people scurrying around. “Yes.”

“Very good. I trust you will be well behaved when we are greeted? We will want to make a good impression on the prince.” He wasn’t waiting for an answer, simply relishing in the power he now wielded over her believing her cowed by her near execution.

Her hand fisted at her side, out of sight in the hanging red silk even if the man had acknowledged her presence with a glance. Her entire body tingled with the tug from the ocean surrounding them. The answering pull she had been suppressing for the last year was unraveling faster in its open presence.

Things would be better, she told herself, when they reached land and she was not constantly assaulted by the tantalizing urge to use her bending.

Nothing good had ever come of her bending. It had destroyed her life more than once and after the last time might have just succeeded in destroying her soul. That it still called to her was an evil omen.

And oh how it called to her.

In her mind she summoned a giant wave, flooding the boat and tipping it. Sending it and the half dozen men on board, her belittlers for the last ten years, to the bottom of the ocean along with herself. Three things stopped her.

The still crisp memory of blood on the snow and the human-shaped, shredded parka laying there.

The two dozen, innocent, crewmen sailing the vessel to its destination. 

And the knowledge that if the man beside her died prematurely her people would not survive the coming upheaval.

She hated the Chief. For all the things he did to her and all the things he would continue to do with her. But it was not her decision to make on who lived and who died. She had made it once and it would haunt her for the rest of her days. Now she was just a tool, the decision not hers but one she would act on with the full understanding that she was a monster and this was her punishment.

The ship docked.

* * *

“Chief Arnook of the Water Nation.” A man in dark red robes and a tall hat marched down the docks, several less richly garbed men scurrying behind him. “We were not expecting you for another three days.” The man came to an abrupt stop a yard from the disembarking party and bowed, fisted hand pressed against an open palm. “Greetings from the Fire Nation,” the man straightened, “I am Mizushima. I will be your guide and see to settling you in the Fire Palace.”

“Greetings, Mizushima. We had favorable winds the last leg of our journey. Where are the Fire Lord and the Prince? Should they not be meeting their future niece-in-law and bride?”

He said it to shame her. Everyone knew that this open bridal candidacy was a farce. It was truth that other nations were bringing girls along, possibly even filling their vapid minds with lies of a prince falling in love with them at first sight, but it was all a convoluted dance in this new world of peace.

The invitations were given to high ranking officials in both the Earth Kingdom and the Northern Tribe in a show of welcome and friendship. They were accepted in good faith and the prize of future trade agreements from the economic leader of nearly the last century. All but the most addled knew that the next Fire Lady would be just that, a _fire_ lady.

Katara saw the sneer of disgust as the official looked her over, barely there and quickly hidden behind a mask of formality. “My Lady, your beauty will surely catch the prince's eye. Alas that won't be for yet another week.”

“A week?” Ulva questioned gruffly. A strong bender and renowned strategist, he was second in command on this campaign. The only good thing for him being here was that it kept him away from his wife and daughter.

“Yes, my lords.” Mizushima directed the men that had followed him to pick up the parties bags. Katara was able to fade into the background. “It’s a day after the last of the candidates are scheduled to arrive. We’re having an opening banquet to greet everyone. The Fire Lord and Prince Zuko will have very little time to socialize until then.”

One of the fire nation men offered to take her bag but she declined with a shake of her head and a soft smile. What little was left of her old lives was in the bag and she would not willingly part with it. Besides they had enough to carry from the rest of the luggage.

Mizushima organized everyone to follow him to waiting ‘carriages’, box like structures roped to glossy ostrich horses. She had seen them before when they had stopped briefly at one of the earth kingdom port cities early in their travels. It was where they had purchased her fire nation's robes, stripping her of the last external piece of her heritage.

She slipped into the last carriage with the servants and overflow luggage. It was cramped but she did not want to be stuck in the carriage with any of her party for the trip up to the palace.

* * *

 “You are not the first candidates to arrive,” Mizushima informed when asked as he sat beside the blue and fur clad chief in the first carriage. “Three of the Earth girls and their families have settled. Also the eldest daughter of the Humira house. More will be arriving by the day.” He cast a sizing eye on Katara as she entered one of the latter carriages. “You’ve only brought one candidate.” Mizushima seemed to think there was some hidden slight in this.

“Yes. The other girls wailed at the prospect of being sent so far from home. She is strong,” Arnook smiled watching the girl also, “some would say too strong. This will be good for her.” And he was killing three fish with a single spear throw.

* * *

“These are your rooms, miss.” The woman was only a year or two older then the water nation girl and was dressed in the coarse dull red and brown of a palace servant. “Are they to your standards?”

Katara looked across the space that was bigger than her entire home in the north. Polished wood floors and high ceilings gave the room an almost hollow feel. A sitting area was constructed with a plush red cloth covered bench that had arms and a high back, a knee high intricately carved table of dark-wood, and two large chairs also covered in red cloth. The set of double doors on the right were open and through them some sort of raised area, draped in more red. Sleeping quarters? How could someone live with so much space?

“Yes. Thank you,” Katara answered softly.

The woman walked around the room pointing things out and setting minuscule things to right. “Until the ceremonies begin, meals will be served in your companion's great room. The courtyard through there is for visitors.” She gestured to the back walls of sunlit cream panels. “If you have need of anything this pulley here," she touched a braided cloth rope that hung from the ceiling tucked behind the door, "will call a servant.”

The maid looked at the dusky skinned tribal girl before her and saw a heartbreaking mix of world weary and lost child. At least  those other bridal chits had their mamas and aunties looking out for them. This one seemed to be all alone with that group of men that pretended she didn’t exist. She paused, weighing her next words. “We will also check on you a few times.”

The girl's eyes widened, "please do not go to any trouble on my account. I will be fine.”

“No trouble, miss.”

“Th-thank you.” The amount of gratitude in the girl’s voice let the woman know that she had made the right choice in speaking out.

“Very good, miss. Dinner will be served at five.” She bowed, heading for the door.

The girl's voice stopped her. “What is your name?”

The maid blinked in surprise but answered with a smile, “Nivedita, miss.”

“Nivedita.”

“Yes, miss. Good evening.” She bowed again before closing the door. She still had a dozen other duties to complete before rest time but she would enlist a few friends in the servants wing to check in on the girl. She’d just have to convince them that the dreaded Candidate from the north was not a barbaric heathen, just a young girl far from home.

* * *

_“Gran-Gran.” The words echoed through the darkness._

_Katara turned, her elegant fire nation Hanfu flaring out around her as she searched for the voice. A little girl in a blue parka materialized, brilliant in the surrounding shadows. It was herself at the age of eight. Hair barely tamed and face still baby round. She held a snowball out in mittened hands, eyes bright with excitement._

_“Look at what I can do.”_

_Katara wanted to scream, to warn her younger self, but the dream held her silent and still as she was forced to watch her own destruction._

_The snowball melted turning into blood that gushed from the little girl’s hands, staining her parka and pooling at her feet in an ever growing arc. Katara stared on in terror as the pool hit the hem of her red robes and wicked up the fabric, absorbing the color, and the evil, but hiding it from site._

_All of the sudden she was the girl, small, afraid. Sitting in a puddle of blood, rocking as shadow fingers reached for her. “I will never do it again,” she sobbed, “please do not send me away! I will never do it again, I promise!”_

Katara sat bolt upright in bed, one of her hands stifling a scream in her throat. Tears and sweat dampened her face. Half blind with panic she tore from the bed, tripping in a tangle of sheet and landing hard on the wooden floor with her hip. Kicking loose of the clinging material, like hands grabbing at her, she scuttled away bumping up against a wall. Heart racing, breathing labored, her eyes flew around the room looking for the owners of those snatching hands.

The room in the Fire Palace was empty of all but moonlight and shadows. Both grateful and heartbroken by those truths she bowed her head to her knees, cradling the bruise on her hip, and let a quiet sob out.   

Not really a dream, just bits of memory struck together to make a living nightmare. It had started with a melting snowball, a simple trick she had practice til perfect to surprise her grandmother. The pool of blood had come later.

Gran-Gran had been adamant about finding her a waterbending teacher. As there were no longer benders in the the South, the Fire Raids had captured them all, she demanded that Katara be brought to their sister tribe in the North.

Katara had begged, promising to never use her bending again, swearing on all the Great Spirits. She did not want to have to leave home or her father and brother, not after they had all lost Mother.

“Hush up,” her grandmother had ordered, voice unusually harsh as she spoke to the young girl. “You need to be trained. You put everyone in the village in danger by staying here in more ways than one.” She turned back to her son, Chief of the Southern Clans, “it is the only way, Hakoda. I will go with her. We leave with the departing Earth merchants in the morning.”

That had been that. Three months travel brought them to the North.

It had been the last time she saw her brother or father. A year later it was discovered that a Clan had been hiding a waterbender. The entire south had been decimated for the crime. A show of force to any who would oppose the Great Fire Empire and a warning that they would soon begin their invasion on the North.

Twice now she had been sent from a place she had considered her home. Maybe now that she was no longer wanted and could no longer return to either, exile would prove more welcoming. If nothing else, the relentless curse could finally prove itself useful.

The tears dried as she watched the sun’s first rays bring light into the room. Cream painted walls segmented by dark polished wood columns held up the beautiful open beam ceilings. Glossy wood floors were covered by intricately patterned carpets. The architecture was beautiful, greater than all the ice walls of the North, but the decor was most definitely lacking. There were no less than three representatives of the Fire Nation emblem in the bedroom alone. The top blanket she had stripped, crumpled, and banished to the corner of the room upon entering was black with their giant red burning trident head dyed in its center. An impressive metalwork sculpture hung on the wall above the bed. The nation’s flag on the left wall.

There were at least a dozen more such propaganda littered throughout the suite of rooms she had been given as a Bridal Candidate. On top of everything being colored red, black or a variation of yellowed cream she felt as if she needed to bathe before she was contaminated.

A breeze fluttered through the netted open windows, smelling of salt and sea. When it was too far to pull at her she found the scent brought only comfort.

Pulling on the red robes the Council had specifically made for her to be more attractive in the Fire Nation style she slipped from her rooms to the grassed courtyard outside.

* * *

 “Who is that?” Zuko asked as they were strolling through one of the covered walks in the inner courtyard. The woman was in a brilliant red hanfu and he could just make out the pattern of large gold cranes from their distance. Her brown hair was braided and piled at the top of her head showing off the deep lavender of her inner robe at the neck.

She was watching the turtle-ducks in the small pond.

“I believe that is the Northern Water’s only potential candidate, arrived yesterday with the rest of them. The servants claim she has rather good manners for being from such a barbaric place.”

“Careful, Takumi. We are no longer at war and the far North are our allies.”

The man bowed his head, “yes, My Prince.”

As if feeling their eyes on her she stood and turned in such a graceful movement she had to be a dancer if only because he had seen no-other move like that. Then he forgot all about her body.

Eyes of such startling blue he could clearly see their color from where he stood, locked on him. It was as if she had punched him. He had never seen their color outside the ocean.

“Yes,” the attendant said on an appreciative sigh, “most definitely the water nation girl.”

Her eyes flicked over them, landing on him longer in an appraising manner he wasn’t use to from a woman. Fawning, yes. But these eyes _saw_ him.

She clasped her hands together, hiding them inside the wide sleeves of her dress and bowed, showing him the top of her head. “Heir of the Fire Nation, Crown Prince Zuko.”

She didn’t yell her formal greeting but angled her voice so it would carry her soft words across the distance. It was … cool. Not hostile or impolite but like a soft breeze coming off the bay, simply conveying itself with no show of force. Or meekness.

At having been caught staring there was nothing for it but to greet the woman. With a sigh, he marched to one of the brakes in the railing, stepping off the polished wood into the earthen garden.

“Name?” He whispered out of the side of his mouth to Takumi as they drew closer.

“I -uh,- I don’t know.” The man’s voice was slightly panicked as he racked his mind for a name. “Something with a ‘kuh’ sound. Kerren, Korra, Karsen, Kasz...ka?”

“You’re useless,” the Prince hissed back before they came into sound range. Plastering a smile he nodded his acknowledgment of her presence. “My Lady. I see you are becoming acquainted with the local wildlife. Do you have turtle ducks in the North?”

“No.”

“Pity. It was the late Fire Lady who introduced them to the palace grounds; they were my mother’s favorite. We would often come out and feed them flax bread together.” Zuko didn’t know what possessed him to add that bit of personal information. He cleared his throat and continued with a different inquiry. “How are you finding your stay with us thus far?”

“Your staff has been most … accommodating.”

“I am glad to hear they are treating you well.” She remained silent, staring at him with those blue eyes.

The time elapsing for her reply continued to grow. Unsure what else to do he spoke again skipping forth to the parting admissions. “The last guests will be arriving by weeks end. The day after all will be formally introduced. Until then, Lady-” Ah, agni, her name, “Kaszka.”

She blinked, then bowed elegantly. “I look forward to it, Fire Prince.”

He nodded his final goodbye, relieved. He and Takumi moved off to go about his other duties, the inopportune stop had put him behind for that morning.

Once back on the walk and moving away he growled at Takumi. “You are lucky you guessed her name right or you would be fired right now. You will memorize the names of all visiting dignitaries, the region they hail from and their roles there; as of that of their wives, children and their... pets. You will know the names and hobbies of all the potential bride candidates on sight. I will not be potentially embarrassed like this again!”

“Yes, My Prince,” the thin man panted trying to keep up with his master’s long strides without appearing to run.

Just before they passed into the east side of the castle he looked behind him, feeling the water girls gaze on him, only to see she had already returned to watching the turtle ducks, completely unfazed by having met the Prince of the nation. He was annoyed with himself at having been so enamored with her eyes when she didn’t seem to care a wit. At least he hadn’t embarrassed himself openly in front of her.

He groaned just thinking about scandal if he had called her by the wrong name and the slight had gotten back to her people.


	2. Tea and Flowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to those who commented on the first chapter!!! midnightqueen6, nzfangirl01, sunkissedskin1328, canwealsonot, Pikachit, ForTheLoveOfVulcan, catsforever13, Apples__RulesTheWorld, worldcrawler, imthepunchlord, Tchundjong, adsomniahouse, 10moonymhrivertam, Kerenm. I really appreciate it!
> 
> Okay, soo, posting the first chapter did not kick start me into writing more and this is the last full chapter I have in back log. So I don't know when I will post the next one 0.o
> 
> Please enjoy :)

_The pompous ass,_ Katara thought angerly as the two men walked away. The arrogant boy had not even bothered to learn the candidate's names! After so many had traveled so far, the lack of courtesy was appalling.

The turtle ducks began quacking and skittering in the pond as the water around them became agitated.  Not wishing to upset the little creatures further with her foul mood, Katara decided to return to her rooms, which proved no better for her simmering anger.

A maid was entering just as Katara was stepping through the sliding courtyard doors to inform her that breakfast was being served in the Chief's greatroom. The council seemed surprised when she entered and she realized that the servants had acted on their own accord in inviting her to breakfast. Chief Arnook begrudgingly offered her a seat at the end of the table.

She grabbed a piece of fruit, a soft yellow pear, and stayed quiet as they discussed the best way to parade her around. To see and be seen while beginning to cultivate ties with some of the prominent families of the world.

Her day got worse from there.

Three more Families arrived from the earth Kingdom, two being from the far north of the continent and close to the Water Tribe. Also two prominent Fire Nation Houses took up their rooms in the Palace. Arnook was quick to seize the chance to greet them, dragging Katara along.

She was looked down upon and sneered at. Asked demeaning questions like if she bathed why was her skin so dark or if she could eat raw meat. The Councilman with her would give her a warning look to keep her answer civil when all she wanted to go was scream like the heathen they all believed her to be.

Late afternoon they were invited to dine at one of the food houses in upper Harbor City. It was a lower rung of a great Fire Nation house but Arnook quickly seized on it when it was known that the family had five sons, two of which would be joining them.

Katara ate little. The food burned her mouth with spice while the young men’s looks burned her skin.

* * *

Not wanting to chance meeting up with the prince again, she left her rooms a good hour later the next morning to visit the turtle ducks. They were so unlike the vicious, hulking turtle seals of the North that were known to attack encroaching fishing boats. No these adorable little guys would semi-gracefully and oh so gently take crumbled bread from one’s hand.

It was still early but apparently not quite early enough to have the turtle duck pond to herself. Several women in customary fire nation red stood around cooing at the small creatures playing in the reeds. Not in the mood for more of their ‘company’ she slipped away to find a quiet place.

It wasn’t to be. People seemed to sprout from everywhere.

Then the areas in and around the entrance fountains were also crowded with rich looking fire women and their maids. Truthful any place with a hint of shade or near the little pools of water was crowded. Katara was unsure if this was the normal happenings of the palace or if the upcoming entertainment was what brought people out of the landscape.

All Katara wanted to do was return to her rooms and sip at chilled fruit juice, one of the few things in this twice-scored nation that did not burn her tongue with spice, but the Council had decreed that she was to be ‘seen’. To get the feel of the other candidates and begin growing connections with the potential favored. Not that any of them wanted to spend another day slogging though the palace. But they had decreed it so she must obey.

She new it would be important for her mission. Creating relations with some of these girls could mean a key bit of information in the future, especially from the one that would one day be Fire Lady. But as of right then she did not give two flying otter penguins

It was hot. The sun a roaring flame that baked her head and sizzled her skin. Or what skin was visible beneath the stifling robes. How could anyone move under all these clothes? She felt as if she were slowly being cooked alive and she was in no mood to be cordial.

The number of official presenting candidates, including herself as the sole Water Tribe female in attendance, was eighteen. Six were believed to be traveling from the Earth Kingdom, girls of decent breeding but second- or third-tier brides. Of course that could be because most of the first tier daughters had already been married off in political marriages before now. Then came the Fire Lilies, as Katara had come to call them. One from each of the Fire Nation Noble houses excluding the ruling one.

There had once been a daughter of the First House. Though two years ago her father, the then Fire Lord Ozai, the present Fire Lord’s brother and sire to the Crown Prince, had discovered that she was trying to amass power for herself against him and had her executed.

The drone of voice coupled with the heat and the dirty looks some of the women shot her was creating a tightness behind her eyes. She needed quiet before she snapped.

She ventured inside where it was only marginally cooler but the air hung heavy and stagnant. There were people milling here as well. Palace guards and servants bustling to and fro. Well dressed merchants and nobles waiting for an audience. There was even a group of green garbed women sitting in a side parlor. All were chattering like the caged hog monkeys she saw at an Earth Nation port. Hallway after hallway, courtyard after courtyard; people.

Trying not to break out in a run or just start screaming she made turns randomly, moving deeper into the castle. Blindly she turned left.

This hall was short but blessedly empty. Perpendicular halls capped both ends but she could not detect the echo of voices coming from them. The left wall was solid wood paneling that made up the majority of the inner palace. The right was a waist height railing of unpainted but highly polished wood, overlooking an enclosed sunken garden.

She walked to the rail and looked out.

It was empty. No voice, no people, just the general hush of nature. Nearly the length of the hallway the other three walls were made of warm sunlit stone, open to the sky. Trees grew in random configurations creating pools of shade. Grass grew healthily beneath the trees along with flowering plants and bushes.

Checking over her shoulder she hiked a leg over the polished wood. She knew that she was not supposed to be here, this was no doubt a private garden, but this temptation was too hard to pass up.

The overlapping trees made a natural barrier between her and the relentless sun though it still broke through in some places. The presence of a calm pond in the center kept everything almost cool so she ignored the tempting waters and walked around the perimeter.

It smelled nice. She could not name any of the flowers but they were in dozens of colors. Small stocky plants capped in clusters of tiny purple blooms. A bush of starry, pure white flowers that gave off a heady scent. Reddish-pink flower with white streaks reminiscent of the ice lilies that bloomed in summer during Southern melts.

Where the others seemed to be almost cultivated in their placement there were small patches of yellow flowers sprung up at random in the grass. Short and low to the ground for the most part they looked like feathery sun dollops. One of these patches had three tall stocks among them.

They were a grey-white and loosely packed puff ball. Unsure if it was a flower or another type of foreign plant she knelt to examine them. Tinier stocks within the puff ball held up feather like snowflakes to make a perfect sphere. Curious if it felt cold she touched a finger to it.

Too her great shock it promptly fell apart.

“It’s called a dandelion.”

She turned, coming to her feet, searching for the person who belonged to the voice.

“Apologies, my dear.” Movement drew her eye up. In the partial shadow from the roof was a balcony with an old man gaining his feet. As she watched he began descending an out of the way stair set pressed against the wall. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Forgive me,” she said bowing deeply. By his clothes he was a lord. His age and the placement of his rooms so deep within the palace said he was most likely on the Fire Counsel. And she was trespassing in his private garden. “I should not have entered. I will leave now,” she deepened the bow, straightening as she turned. She did not make it a full two steps before he caught up with her.  

“Oh, nonsense. No harm was meant or done. You were simply enjoying the flowers. Especially this one,” he hovered over the fluffy ball smiling kindly. His cheerful disposition charmed her.

“I was. What did you call it again. A dan-da-line?”

“Yes. They are commonly viewed as weeds but they remind me of childhood.” He bent over and picked an undamaged one from close to the ground. “Legend says that they can grant wishes.”

“Wishes?” she asked, respectively skeptical, a small smile curling her lips.

“That’s right. Watch.” He inhaled deeply then blew, directing the wind at the fluff. It exploded, all the little filaments breaking away to float in the air to her amazement.

“A-ha,” he exclaimed, holding out the naked stem for inspection. “A lucky one. Blew off all the little wind-catchers in one breath. Now I get a wish.” He gestured down to the last perfect flower, “you try.”

She bent and plucked it carefully. “So blow them all away and get a wish?”

The old man smiled, “according to legend.”

She filled her lungs with air and blew. Half the little snowflakes floated off in the air, the other half clung stubbornly refusing to be dislodged. “Guess I am not that lucky.” She dropped the unprophesied wish to the ground.

“Here have mine.” He pressed the naked stem in her hand before she could protest, “consider it a charm against old men lying to you over anymore legends.”

“So it does not grant wishes,” she teased with a smile.

“Oh, it does.” he nodded in mock seriousness. “All my hot air should be used for something. Why not wishes?” He dropped the act and shared a conspirator’s grin of someone several decades younger. “So what will you wish for?”

She spun the stem between her fingers, studying it. Her first gift from the fire nation. From a man who might one day call for her execution and be fully justified in it. She stuck the stem behind her ear and smiled at him. “I will save it. You never know when a wish will come in handy.”

She did not believe the legend of it granting a wish, but if it did she would wish that the prince would never make a decision that would destroy them both.

The old man’s steady eyes studied her. He nodded coming to a decision. “Would you care to have tea with me?”

“No- I mean, thank you but I would not want to intrude. I should be getting back.”

“It's bad form to not accept an old man’s invitation for company while he drinks tea,” his voice took up the tone of a teacher at lecture before falling back to his little boy exuberance as he led her to the steps. “Besides I have cold watermelon.”

She smiled as she followed him up the this stairs to the balcony, “watermelon?”

“An Earth Kingdom fruit. It has a hard fleshy outer husk that is cut off and the sweet soft inside is served. There are little black seeds that, legend says, if you swallow, will grow into a watermelon plant in your stomach.”

“More legends?” she quipped. She could not see his face but from his tone she would have guess he was smiling.

“I am unsure about a plant but they always gave me stomach pains if I ate too many, be warned. Besides they are much more fun to spit at unsuspecting siblings.”

A memory floated before her of a too serious little boy sneaking from behind a child made snow wall to throw a snowball at her. She remembered pelting him first and laughing into warm mittens. She pushed the thought aside following the jovial man. The past was better left where it was.  

The balcony let off into a small room lined with shelves packed with scrolls. Drying plants hung by their stalks on the opens spaces of the walls, their scent filling the air. A square table dominated the central area.  There was an arch that looked to open up to a more formal office, the corner of a red wood desk was visible along with a two panelled door and a pair of chairs.

It was the scrolls that drew her. Without any real thought, she floated to the nearest shelf, drawing revering fingers along the visible caps.  For the most part her people were still of the oral tradition. However, since the beginning of the Fire War the leaders saw the prudence of writing down some things. The Story of the Beginning of the World, Legends of Tui and La, the Origins of Waterbending to name a few of the Old Stories. Later years added more practical information to the precious seal parchment; northern star charts, energy flows for bending and healing.

They had become her people’s treasures.

And here was a wall of them.

“If you would like to read them you may, though I warn they are mainly dry legal documents and laws.” The kindly man offered as he bustled around behind her. “You would find a much broader selection in the library.”

“What is a lye-berry?” she asked running a delicate finger against an ornate scroll cap of a roaring dragon.

“It’s a place where books are stored. You can sign them out to read at your leisure then return them to get more.”

“You mean you have more than just these?” she turned to him awed.

“Yes,” he said, slowly coming to kneel at the table. “Many more. Thousands. You can go whenever you’d like.” He set a cup on the side she was standing near, smiling, “your tea is ready.”

“Oh, yes. Thank you.” She sat folding her skirt around her. Retrieving her cup she sipped cautiously. “It is sweet!”

“It’s Jasmine tea, picked from the garden below. It tastes just as good hot but on a day like this, cold is better.” He lifted a bowl of ice filled with what she suspected was cut watermelon. “How are you enjoying the Fire Nation, Lady Katara?”

Hearing her name gave her a jolt. She should have expected that he knew who she was but in truth she had not. For those few minutes talking with him she had felt like she belonged. With the false veil of anonymity gone she felt like an outsider in the room just seconds before felt welcoming.

“I am enjoying it,” she said as she carefully returned the cup to the table and folded her hands in her lap.

He watched her covertly as he served them both some watermelon, puzzled by the cause of the new tension in the room. “What about your home nation, what’s it like there?”

“Colder.”

“Yes,” the chuckle seemed to catch him unaware. “I would imagine it’s quite a system shock, coming from all that ice. It snows in the capital most years but some of the outer isles rarely get it.” He chatted pretending to ignore the quiet from his partner. “The Fire Palace dressed in snow is a sight to see. It doesn’t last long but it sure is pretty.”

There was a knock at the outer door. Both turned to look.

“Yes?” He called.

A man in the palace livery of a guard opened the door part ways. “General, Prince Zuko wishes an audience.”

“Yes. Show him in.” the General ordered. The guard bowed and left closing the door.

Katara popped to her feet. “I will leave you to your audience.”

The General eyed her. That was not most girls reactions to a surprise appearance of a prince and their hopeful intended. “You are free to stay,” he offered.

“Thank you, no. I am sure there are official things to discuss, I would be in the way.” She edged towards the balcony, “if it would not be much trouble, I will leave the way I came.”

“Of course. But it’s really no inconvenience for you to stay. Prince Zuko-”

“Thank you for the tea, General,” she interrupted. Then, almost as if she couldn’t help herself, she touched the bit of flora at her ear. “And the wish. Good day.”

With a bow she was gone.

He blinked. What an odd girl but kind to an old man she once could have seen as an enemy. A good quality in the future Fire Lady. But he could scence the secrets in her, something she was hiding, something she was saddened by and those things cast a dark mark on her eligibility. Still, he would keep an eye on her.

The door popped open. “Uncle?”

“In my tea room, Zuko.” He began clearing her discarded service as his nephew walked in. “Would you care for some tea? Or perhaps some watermelon?”

“No, thank you. Just dropping off some reports.” He eyed the dirty dishes, “was I interrupting something?”

“No,” Iroh reassured. “The visit was long over.” Ever since he had called to notice the fact that she was not a faceless flower watcher but a person known to him. Odd girl indeed. He was intrigued. “Let us have a look at those reports. How are preparations coming? Any more girls arriving?”

“Several. The Hotaru and Kaminari house are set to dock today. Two groups from the Earth kingdom are being shown their rooms as we speak.” The Prince sat down dropping the reports on table with a huff. “I feel like I’m being stalked in my own house. There’s a scheming mother or lustful daughter around every corner ready to pounce. It's demeaning to skulk around the castle but I can’t get any work done when they catch me.” He flipped through the pile organizing them from immediate need to things that could be brought up further down the road. “I’ve only met one in a semi-official manner. Have you seen her? The water nation girl, Kaszka.”

“Kaszka?” Iroh smoothed out his smile with his hand, disguising it as if being deep in thought. “No. I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of meeting this ‘Kaszka’. Is she nice?”

“She didn’t really talk that much,” Zuko said, distracted, as he pushed an open file before his uncle. “This is a trade agreement between the Southernmost quarry in the earth kingdom that we are wanting to push when the time is right. Here it is written high but if we play well we may get half of what we ask in return for dismantling a tenth of our fleet.”

“A tenth? Isn’t that a bit low?” Iroh asked. He knew when his nephew was done talking about something and didn’t press.

“I want to keep some in reserves for when negotiations get stagnant. The first estimate of the necessary sixty-three percent retirement over the next five years is beginning to look more like seventy. And that's if we get a contract with the Guan mine.” The young man rubbed his face. “I don’t know what we are going to do with all of those soldiers. Unemployment will cripple us.”

“We’ve know that from the start. Have they began looking into renovating the war ships into fishing vessels?”

“The ships we have are just too big for what we want them to be. They’ve made some headway but with the costs they projected it would almost be cheaper to just build new. But with it being unknown where we will continue to get our iron ore I don’t want to waste our current stock on more ships.”

“A wise move, nephew. Keep them working on finding a schematic that works. See about hiring some of the displaced soldiers to the salvage teams when the time comes.”

“Time is something we’re short on. Was now really the best time to have a world brideathon, Uncle?”

“Yes. You need a wife and opening the position to someone outside of the nation _will_ prove useful.”

“But why bring the girls, hoping to marry a prince, here when everyone knows that I will be choosing a wife from our own nation?”

“You don’t know that. Some of these girls could be very lovely.”

“‘Lovely’ doesn’t matter. If I chose a girl from outside the country, my own people would revolt against me.”

“Are you adamant about making this peace work?”

The young man sighed, looking down. “You know I am, Uncle. The world cannot afford anymore war, it’s too fractured as it is.”

“Then look to some of the girls from our neighbors. If nothing else comes of it, you will be making connections to strengthen alliances. Do not throw that away over what a few closed minded individuals may do to stir the pot.”

“She will have to be nearly perfect to overcome the stigma.”

Iroh, Fire Nation General, Dragon of the West, regent Fire Lord, eldest son of Fire Lord Azulon, sipped his tea thoughtfully. “We can only hope.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought and any ideas you might like to see


	3. Of Damsels and Beasts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, thank you, thank you for your wonderful comments SarahAntonia, nzfangirl01, Numbuh_7, TeenyTinyTinker, Dawen, Selkie_Llian, Elv (Elv Skyfall), fangirl Fiona

Katara stepped into her suite of rooms, absentmindedly twirling the naked dan-da-line stem between her fingers. Exhaustion pulled at her after another sleepless night, her tension filled tea with the Fire Nation General and the near miss with the prince. The last thing she expected, or wanted, was to see Chief Arnook standing in her sitting area with a regal woman in the green and gold of the Earth Kingdom

“Ah, there you are, my dear,” he greeted cordially as she froze at the threshold. “I was just about to send one of the servants to find you.” There was a growled under bite to the words that told of his displeasure. Casting her a hard warning look he turned to the other intruder to her territory. “This is Lady Durjaya. Her daughter, Lady Mirri, is your age. She has graciously welcomed you to take tea with them and several of the other candidates.”

When Katara did not immediately jump at the opportunity that had fallen in their lap, he turned his arctic eyes back to her, clear warning in them. It did not matter that she had just taken tea, was feeling unwell, or even that she did not want to deal with the pack of husband hunters. She was to go, be on her best behavior, or would catch hell for it later.

After holding his gaze for a beat longer, she turned demurely to the woman with a soft bow. “Lady Durjaya, you honor me. I hope that your daughter and I will become close companions.”

The pinched face of the woman said that it would not be something she would permit. “Tea will be served at noon. Don’t be late.”

Before Katara could get out something biting, Arnook stepped forward, “if anything, she will be early.”

Again the woman looked her over with a slight grimace as she held her arm for Arnook to escort her out. “Not too early, I hope.”

* * *

 

Katara arrived outside the Durjaya’s doors at exactly five minutes till twelve. She attributed this promptness to one of the most fascinating bits of technology she had seen thus far in the fire nation; the clock. A small apparatus created in the Earth Kingdom but taken and refined by Fire Nation engineers and placed in every room as a symbol of the empire’s wealth. Katara ignored the asinine opulence, too enamored with the thing that told time down to the heart beat.

As she stood in front of the grand door, she wished the clock was not quite so accurate. It was hard to claim a loss of time with such devices constantly within sight. Unsure of how to proceed, Katara knocked on the door.

It was opened by a tall, thin, man with hard dark eyes that took her in from the hem of her robes to the hair hastily secured at the top of her head. “May I help you?”

“I was told to be at Lady Durjaya’s tea?” It came out more of a question then Katara meant it to.

“I see,” he looked her over again, his expression clearly stating he found her lacking. “Wait here,” he demanded shutting the door in her face.

A wave of humiliation rolled over her and Katara swallowed the unexpected tightness in her throat, hiding her shaking hands inside her robes. How dare he treat her like trash when she was an invited guest. She debated walking away, to the frozen tundra with whatever punishment the council would decree. But she just stood there, choking on her fury, until the door opened again.

“My apologies, Water Tribe Candidate, for keeping you waiting,” the words were said as if they made his teeth hurt. “If you would follow me?”

An insidious whisper tickled her left ear, begging her to teach this man a lesson. It would not take much, a simple twist of her finders and she could have him on his knees, keepi him from looking down his snobbish nose at her…

A flash of bloody snow curled in her mind, morphing just enough to be blood on the polished wooden floors. To be blood soaking green silk instead of a blue parka.

 _No,_ she roared to herself. It scared her that even for a moment she was tempted to use her bending. She was stronger than that. Stronger than the anger burning through her veins and stronger than the whispers in her head.

She was not here for herself, Katara reminded, she was here for her people, and she would not let hurt feelings destroy what they were working towards.

Putting a tighter lock on her emotions and shoving that dark little voice down to where it would never see sunlight, she followed the haughty man. He led her through the front parlor and into a large dining area almost identical to the council’s suite of rooms.

Earth nation servants scurried around the table pouring tea and served small finger foods. The chatter of  more than a dozen voices fell silent as she entered. Pinched looks of disapproval, mixed with wide eye fascination, filtered through the party as everyone tried not to be caught staring directly at her. Katara kept her eyes down and her voice silent like a good little northern water girl while inside her anger began to bubble again.

“Sit here,” the man directed her to a chair at the farthest end for the table. The two girls on either side leaned away from her as she sat.

The hostess did not even acknowledge her presence.

Slowly conversation built back up around the table. Not with her, of course. One did not talk to the entertainment and that is exactly what Durjaya, the two faced eel-crane, wanted. The Water Tribe Barbarian to attract guests to her tea to best get the measurements of the other candidates vying for the catch of the prince.

Based on the turn out it was a smashing success. Few, it seemed, could resist the allure of the mysterious water tribe candidate. No doubt they were waiting for her to shovel food in her mouth with her bare hands or rip off her clothes and dance naked on the table. Katara gritted her teeth.

The servant pouring tea over Katara’s shoulder shrieked and jumped back as the pot in her hand exploded drenching the table, and the ones sitting closest, in tea.

“You clumsy girl, look what you’ve done!” One of the women across the table scolded harshly dabbing at her gorgeous silk top. Lady Chou, eldest daughter of the Hotaru family had been pointed out to her by Ulva the previous day as the two groups passed in the courtyard. After the broken contract with the Miura House and the execution of the Fire Prince’s betrothed two years ago, she was the potential favorite for Fire Lady.

The servant girl apologized profusely, eyes wide, as she gathered up the shards of the porcelain teapot. Once her hands were full she looked around helplessly for where to put them. Katara subtly folded her napkin and stretched it in front of the girl, who shot her a grateful smile, so she could set the broken pieces down.

Several other servants swarmed the area mopping up the spilled liquid. With in seconds the table was back to rights and another girl came to finish serving the tea.

“You’re not really much to look at,” Lady Chou said loudly from her seat, chin delicately resting on her hand as she studied Katara. “Though I guess your eyes are pretty enough.”

“You are too kind,” Katara said with what she hoped was disinterest while tea inside her cup rippled. She took a hasty sip before anyone could notice and nearly spat it out.

Lady Chou laughed seeing her face screw up. “These Dirt-diggers wouldn’t know a good cup of tea if it was poured down their throat.” The woman made no attempt at modulating her voice and the earth kingdom girls looked on angerly. Lady Durjaya glanced their way with a pinched look but turned back to the conversation she was having with another Earth Kingdom woman at the head of the table.

If Katra had not had such great tea earlier she would not have know any better but now it tasted like dirty rinse water. The only thing it had going for it was that it was not spicy like the fire people tended to drink it. Katara forced herself to take another drink, keeping her face frozen, “it is fine,”

Chou laughed again, the sound like bells tinkering, turning away to talk to the fire nation girl on her left and Katara went back to being ignored. Even the side eyes stopped when it looked like she would do nothing untold. Instead of trying to weasel her way into any of the surrounding conversions, Katara set to eating her way through the food on the table. With the Fire Nation cuisine being so cursed spicy she had not been eating a lot and was making up for it now with the blander earth fare.

“Lady Katara?”

The group turned to see a man, maybe in his late thirties, in black robes with a red embroidered emblem on his chest that told he was a palace courier for a high ranking member of the Fire Court. Then the group turned back to stare accusingly at Katara.

What did this man want with her? Had she and the water tribe's plan been found out? Katara swallowed the ‘finger sandwich’ and wiped her mouth with her replaced napkin to hide her sudden nervousness. “Yes?”

Locking eyes with her he made his way across the room to bow before her. “Lady Katara. Pardon the intrusion but I’ve been tasked with leading you to our library. If you are free now?”

There was only one person she had discussed this ‘library’ with. The General had seemed kindly enough but she was slightly wary that he had sent someone to take her to it so quickly.

“Of course,” Katara said standing.

The man bowed again and turned beginning to lead the way from the room. Katara did not immediately follow, instead she bowed to the room in general then to Lady Durjaya specifically. “Thank you for making me feel so welcomed. You have no idea what it felt like to be included in your tea.”

The Courier was waiting for her at the threshold, his face impassive, but he had a gleam of what might have been respect in his eye as he followed her from the room. He held the door for her as they left the suite and turned left down the hall, back tracking a bit the way Katara had come before turning left again and deeper into the Palace.

“The Library is on the south side of the Fire Palace as the South Doors opened up to the Scholar’s District. By the decree of Prince Zuko, students there have unrestricted access to any documents we house.”

“How magnanimous,” she quipped dryly before she could think better of it.

The courier's demeanor cooled. “It is actually. Several previous Fire Lords deemed library materials off limits to anyone outside of the twelve houses. Hundreds of the scrolls we have are the last surviving copies. Letting others read and copy them means that the knowledge wont be lost.”

They continued in silence. Katara knew she had spoken out of turn. Just because the Fire Prince had rubbed her the wrong way did not mean he was inherently a bad person. If nothing else, he had the loyalty of his subjects.

“I am sorry for belittling something I know nothing about,” Katara apologized, the words all the harder for their sincerity. “I do know the fear that a history may be lost. Any and all actions taken to defend that knowledge is to be commended.”

He gave her another appraising look as they came to a stop in front of two grand doors.

“This is the Fire Palace Library, feel free to use it during your stay. This is where I leave you as I have other errands to run. Until we meet again, Lady Katara.” With a final bow he was gone.

Katara’s eyes roamed up the doors, solid pieces of burnished wood, to the gilded bronze owl carved in the top frame. She looked up at the owl and it almost seemed to be staring back at her. Standing in front of it felt very similar to the feeling she had when she entered the spirit oasis in the north. As if something old and not always benign watched her. So, as she did when entering the hidden grotto that was the water tribe's single most protected secret, she offered something of herself. Plucking a hair from her head she laid it down at the threshold, sending a silent pray for safe passage.

She gave a rye smile as she stood back up, dusting off the knees of her robes, as she thought about what those women from tea would think if they saw her now. They would definitely say she was a savage clinging to the ‘Old Ways’. But they could say whatever they wanted. Gran-Gran always told her to trust her instincts so she was not going to ignore that when the energy of a spirit was nearby.

With the impromptu ceremony complete she opened the door and stepped through.

The air was...different in here. Not quite stagnant but it did have a comforting weight to it. And it was blessedly cooler in the dark. Blinking to get use to the dimness off the room compared to the bright openness of the palace hallways Katara saw them.

Books. Actual bound books. Hundreds of them. Thousands! More books then she had ever imagined could exist. Shelves upon shelves that rose over twice her height and were several arm lengths wide, all packed with books.

She walked down the isles entranced and was shocked to find still more shelves and more books. An entire section dedicated to scrolls like the ones they had in the North. There she had not been aloud to touch the precious bits that housed the Water Tribe history, but the courier had said she had free use of these, right?

Katara was reaching for a scroll, large and ornate like the ones of the North when a woman in the red robes of an upper servant appeared at her side.

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

Katara snatched her hand back quickly. “No. Thank you. I was just looking.”

“This is the ‘History of the Fire Lord’,” the woman informed proudly, if a bit haughty, as she hefted the large scroll onto the top of the squat shelf, unrolling the first few feet. "It dates back some twelve-hundred years and names all the Fire Lords that ever lived. This is one of the oldest running lists in the world and one of only three copies. Though the three hundred year list is mandatory teaching in our schools.”

Katara reverently ran her hand over the scroll. Twelve-hundred years of recorded history. With the water tribe's oral tradition they had no true way knowing how old their stories were, or being able to tell the original truths of a story or what was omitted or embellished as it was passed on. But here they had the words locked down, where many times great grandchildren could look back and see what their ancestors created.

She was so preoccupied with the scroll in front of her that she did not notice the creature creeping up on her until it rubbed itself up against her leg.

“Oh, that’s Miyuki,” the woman glanced around the immediate area, “Seeker is around here somewhere but he’s more particular to whom he shows himself to. You give that one any attention,” she sent a pointed glare at the grey fluff ball twining around Katara’s legs, “and she wont leave you alone.”

“What is she?” Katara asked crouching down to get a better look at the thing.

The woman shrugged, “a cat.”

“A cat-what?” Katara offered her hand for the animal to sniff, which the feline did daintily before putting her head into Katara’s fingers for affection.

“I don’t know. She’s my grandmother’s cat, she just follows me to work most days,” she said placing the scroll back on its shelf. “You like animals? We have a whole section devoted to Zoology if you would like to take a look.”

Katara looked at the woman with a slight frown. For some reason her words had almost sounded like a dare. “Thank you but I think I will look on my own.”

* * *

Ruby set down her book, the latest novel by Joki Romeo, and stretched as she glance at the clock at the corner of the circulation desk. Fifteen minutes to five, perfect. Stacking aside her book and loose notes from the day she got up to lock up for the night.

Going along the pattern she established a year ago when she first got her position, she started with locking the garden door. Once that was secure she went to the windows, double checking that each was closed before fastening the wooden shutters.

Moving down the line of windows that ran the east and south walls, Ruby’s thoughts turned to the water nation girl from earlier, one of the six customers that had used the library this Sunday. She questioned to herself how the girl had even known to look for the library when none of the other candidates had ferreted out that bit of information, not even the Fire ladies who no doubt already had their servants gathering gossip from their palace counterparts.

It wasn’t a secret the Prince frequented his library but it also wasn’t well know; who would think the ruler would like to pick out his own book? Somehow the little water girl had and wasted little time in coming to lay a trap for his attention. Ruby wondered scornfully if the barbarian even knew how to read.

As if the universe decided to humble her by answering her question she turned the corner and saw the water girl curled up in one of the plush chairs pushed up against the line of windows to take full advantage of the light. She was engrossed in the book open on the table in front of her, three more in a stack beside it, and Miyuki curled up in her lap.

Ruby was instantly contrite for having thought bad of the girl. Chastising herself, she slowly made her way up to the girl not wanting to startle her. “I thought you left.”

She looked up, blue eyes steady but wary. “No.”

Ruby felt like a total heel about how she had treated this girl earlier.

“Well, I’m closing up for the night.” As the girl’s face closed off, Ruby tried for a friendlier tone. “Do you have anything I can check out for you?” she gestured to the the four books in front on the table, “how about these?”

“Check out?” The water nation girl shook her head, not understanding.

“Yeah, so you can take them home -- er -- to your rooms.”

“I can take these with me?” she asked something bright gleaming in her eyes as she laid her hand on the books.

“Well,” she answers with a small laugh, recognizing the look as one of her own when she found a new book, “you’ll have to return them after a while but, yeah, you can take them with you.”

The woman gently deposited Miyuki on the ground before standing, gathering up her books and formally presenting the stack to Ruby. “Can you show me?”

She accepted the books with a huge smile, seeing them as the new start that they were. “Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment!! I love hearing from you!!


	4. Welcome Katara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments nzfangirl01, Whovian1717, SkepticalBeliever, midnightqueen6, Selkie_Llian, TeenyTinyTinker, KnightOwl247, nategoat, claireandelide, Mare Criseum, Aba, Hannah, BoldlyGaying, Liz, AlaskaV, Emily_Elizabeth_Rose.
> 
> And special thanks for gomee23 for leaving a comment on my other zutara story, "DRINKING GAME". Glad you liked it :) :) :)

Zuko’s week reprieve leading up to the official start of the brideathon was short lived. He met countless times with his council, hammering out last minute details before his time would be consumed by spouse hunting. There were still things that would require his personal attention but the majority of the day-to-days could be entrusted to his uncle and Zuko’s assistant, Takumi.

The nation needed for him to find a wife to get an heir and create the illusion of stability if nothing else so he would find a wife. But he was determined to find a woman that would help him shape the future he needed to create where his people would not slide into obscurity because they tried for peace instead of war.

Zuko understood why his uncle had invited brides from other nations, extending a peaceful hand was the only option after the decades of war. That so many noble earth kingdom families had made the trip was promising but Agni he wished he didn’t have to go through with it. He didn’t like to needlessly hurt people and having all these women here he knew most would leave with bruised egos if not hurt feelings.  

An hour before the opening ceremony was to begin, Zuko stood in front of a mirror pulling on the last layer of his Court Robes preparing himself to run through the gauntlet of women vying for the position of his wife.

Things were so much easier, he thought with a sigh as he tied the twelve decorative sashes around his waist, when all he had to worry about was when his father was going to turn on him. Back then he was already betrothed and while he didn’t trust Mai, she was a known entity in the political game that was the Fire Nation; predictable in the sense that she would be out for her own best interests.

Now everything had changed, not the least of which was himself.

Zuko fingered the raised, leathery flesh of his scar remembering the scolding pain as his face and ear burned. He remembered sitting in that hospital bed, the entire left side of his face bandaged, as his father entered. For a moment Zuko had though that his father had come to apologize, that he had come to check on how his son was doing.

But no. He had come to berate him for losing. For disgracing his place as heir and tarnishing the honor of the Fire Lord. It didn't matter that the one who had superceded him was his sister, a renown prodigy.

Hard as it was with her blow etched into his face, Zuko tried not to think of his sister when all that was left was painful memories. He had both loved, hated, and feared her as she was a better fire bender then he was and better at playing the game they were both forced into by the nature of their births. He thought himself ruthless enough but when faced against Azula in an Agni Kai, he had hesitated and she had not.

Spirits, she was his little sister, the one person he would have killed anyone to protect and his father had sicked them on each other like beasts. He still remembered the look on her face as he withered on the ground, remembered her gazing up at Ozai so desperate for his approval that she didn’t even care what she had done.

That was the last time he had seen her.

To regain the honor that had been stripped from him, Fire Lord Ozai had banished his son before the scabs had even had a chance to form over his wounds. Forbidden him his nation and his birth right until he could prove himself by retrieving the avatar or until his scar, the taint of his loss, faded away completely.

Yet here Zuko stood, scar still prominent on his face and the Avatar still nothing more than a myth, two months until his twenty first year of birth where he would be crowned Fire Lord. It wasn’t worth all that he lost but he would damn well make a better future then the ash covered one that his derange father wanted to leave.

There was a knock at the door. Takumi stepped in with a bow. “My Prince.”

“Yes?” Zuko demanded as he pulled his hair up in the customary topknot sliding the golden fire insignia into place.

“Quite a few of the guests are already gathering.” There was a slight note of panic in the man’s voice.

“And?” Zuko hefted the leather mantle and secured it around his neck. Typically he left it off as it was more bother then it was worth as the rigid material made it difficult to traverse through doorways. At least he could get away with this one during these semi-formal gatherings, the one for ceremonial occasions was made of iron and gold and weighed close to twenty pounds.

“The Regent is in the kitchen supervising preparation for the banquet.”

 _Debating tea with_ _Regina_ _, no doubt_ _,_ Zuko rolled his eyes. His uncle and the dessert-apprentice-turn-head-cook had hit it off remarkably well when they had returned back to the palace just over a year ago and had grown quite close since.  

Zuko sighed understanding Takumi’s panic, “so there is no one to greet guests?”

“Correct, My Prince. Several of the Lords have questioned where the hosts are.”

“We’ll head over now,” he cast one more glance at the mirror, lingering a second too long on his scar. There was nothing he could do to fix it but if he had to live with it any woman who married him would have to as well. He turned away marching through the doors, Takumi at his heels. “You have the list of guests memorized?”

“Yes, My Prince. Names and hobbies of the candidates, as well as all families of note down to the great-aunts that have brought grand-nieces.”

“Very good. Stay close to me and we may just get through this in one piece.” Zuko took a deep breath as he came to the huge double doors of the Banquet Hall. On the other side his future Fire Lady waited. All he had to do was find her and not create a global incident by slighting any of the other prominent families that were showing off very marriageable daughters.

He let his breath out slowly, just like his uncle had taught him, centering himself.

“If I may be so bold, My Prince,” Takumi interrupted in a deferring voice. “You look every inch the Heir to the Fire Nation.”

Zuko nodded this thanks, bolstered by the kind words. “Introduce me.”

Takumi tapped twice on the door, softly, then scurried to the side where he would be out of sight as they swung open wide.  The herald, who had been standing just to the right of the doors waiting for the signal, tapped his staff on the marble floor twice before bellowing, “Heir to the Fire Nation. Son of Fire Lord Ozai. Nephew to Regent Fire Lord Iroh. Great grandson of Avatar Roku. Now enters Crown Prince Zuko.”  

The whole room turned as one to watch as Zuke marched confidently in. On the inside he was shaking.

“Welcome, distinguished guests. I thank you for making the journey to be here tonight. As we all know I will be coronated in two months time and when I ascend to my throne I will do so with a Fire Lady at my side. As I have not met her yet, it is my hope that she is here tonight. Over the next several weeks I will meet with many of you, to learn from each other and share our ideas. Let us now enter a era of peace between all nations.” He held up the glass that Takumi slipped into his hand; sweet punch, for as much as he would love a glass of wine to calm himself, he needed his head about him tonight. “To the forging of new and lasting bonds.”

The room echoed his sentiments as he took a sip.

“Please, everyone, enjoy yourselves.” With a final salute with the goblet Zuko dispersed everyone back to mingling as he made his way down the entry stairs.

Immediately a man broke off from the group he was talking to, making straight for Zuko, all but dragging a young woman behind him. Earth nation by his clothes.

Takumi stepped forward as the couple drew closer, whispered in Zuko’s ear, “Lord Durjaya, jewel mines in the Dong region. Official candidate, Lady Mirri, flower arranging, pet komodo-cat JuJu.”

There wasn’t enough time to say more but it was enough to jog Zuko’s memory on The List, the detailed information they had created on all the attendees. Lord Durajay, a merchant that had inherited the Family Title twelve years ago when an uncle had died with no sons. He had turned the Durjaya Mines from the raw distributors they were into the prospering business it was now.

Besides this daughter he had brought along her two younger sisters, as well as three female cousins and a whole pack of others including his wife, several aunts and a covey of personal servants. It was well know that Lord Durajay ran his business with an iron hand, but it was Lady Durajay that ruled the home and it was little surprise that she wanted her daughter married to the earth nation equivalent of a king.

“Lord Durajay.” Zuko greeted with a respectful bow. He may only be in jewels but he was well known in the iron community and had connections that could prove invaluable to the fire nation's future.

“Crown Prince, may I introduce you to my daughter....”

And so it began.

* * *

A hour in and Zuko was all but begging to the Spirits for the dinner bell. If he hadn’t met every candidate, he was coming very close. He had to be. He knew he had met some sisters or cousins or other female relations several times removed but he had to be almost done. They were all starting to blend together, the earth nation names rolling into one another. He had to have met three women named Hua. The fire nation women were at least a little easier to remember and distinguish from each other. Names and families he knew if he did not know the candidates themselves on some small level.

As if on cue the leader of the only other nation in attendance walked up to him as if they were old friends instead of once bitter enemies. “Prince Zuko.” 

“Chief Arnook,” Zuko returned a bit more formally.

“Come, let me introduce you to the North’s candidate.” He pulled him through the crowd with an arm across his shoulders.

“I was surprised to find out you only brought one woman for the candidacy,” Zuko put in carefully.

The cagey old fox-hawk smiled benignly at him, “well, when you have the perfect bloom, you do not hide it in a bouquet.” He stopped before the group of other tribes men, all dressed in the deep blues customary for their culture. “Prince Zuko, may I introduce you to Katara of the Northern Tribe.”

The man gestured and the rest parted to frame a woman in a scarlet hanfu with plum and pale pink lotus stitching and the under wrap of dark mulberry. The only thing that conveyed that she was water nation was the duskiness of her skin and the brilliant blue of her eyes.

The blue eyes he would have swore belonged to a girl feeding turtle ducks named Kaszka.

She bowed, perfectly correct, to him. “Fire Prince.”

“Lady _Katara_.” He returned pleasantly as rage burned in him. How _dare_ she lie to him. She and her people must have had a great laugh at his expense. “It’s lovely to finally know the name of such a beautiful woman. I hope you are enjoying your stay in the fire capital?”

She hummed a non-committal reply. For a minute he though she was looking at his scar, just as every other woman he had talked to this night. It was jolting to realize her eyes were dead locked with his.

“She is enjoying her stay immensely, Prince Zuko.” Annoke spoke up when it became apparent to all that that was all she had to voice on the subject. “She especially loves your ornamental gardens. So very different from the plants that grow back home. And the cuisine, is that not right Katara?”

“It is spicy.” She said blandly but her look spoke volumes. He could tell there was a differentiation between her words and what her eyes said but Zuko was having trouble translating.

Before he could demand the clear answer from her the announcement of dinner rang over the crowd.

“Would you look at that,” Chief Arnook chimed, loudly enough that some of the other guest turned to look, “Prince Zuko, would you be so good as to lead Katara into the dinning hall.”

“Of course.” He was well and truly trapped. As the highest ranking male it was his job to guide the woman and yet he wanted her as far away from him as he could get her. But he smiled and offered his arm to _Lady Katara._ “If you would please follow me?”

She looked at his offered arm as if it was a pile of shit in her path and it took a sharp nudge of one of the men behind her to push her forward into taking it.

“Still feeding the turtle ducks _Kaszka,_ ” he hissed nearly silently down at her as they drifted with the crowd to the second room. If he hadn’t been looking for a reaction he would have missed it, half a flickering look with anger burning in her eyes but she did not make a reply. What right did she hve to be angry? He was the one being laughed at.

As they walked he could feel hundreds of glares pointed at the woman on his arm. Good, she deserved to feel their open animosity when he could not give into his own. She had to have noticed but gave it no acknowledgement, simply marched beside him with her head held high face blank and touch as light on his arm as she could manage and still have it look as if he lead her.

“Prince Zuko,” Iroh was waiting for him just inside the dining hall doors. He smiled kindly at the woman on his arm, “And Lady Katara, may I say you look lovely tonight? The colors really bring out the richness of your skin and make a lovely contrast with your eyes.”

Real warmth flooded her face and with a almost smile she thanked him.

“Uncle, where have you been?” Zuko growled at the older man, angry for him having left him to the wolves for over an hour while he sipped tea. He didn’t notice the woman on his arm start.

“'Uncle',” she whispered horrified, her skin losing that 'richness'. “You are the Fire Lord?”

Iroh turned another gentle smile her way, “yes, dear. For the next few months until my nephew takes the responsibility and I can go back to enjoying tea.”

Her grip on Zuko’s arm tightened painfully and he looked down at her with a frown, disconcerted with the strange urge to shield her that he quickly pushed aside.

“Will you be sitting with us, Lady Katara,” Iroh asked.

“Uncle,” Zuko hissed, his eyes flying to make sure no one had overheard him or he'd be stuck with her all night. “I don’t--”

“No,” she interrupted dropping Zuko’s arm as if it had burned her. “I will sit with my people. Good eve, Fire Price.” She dipped a shallow curtsy, seeming to hesitate as she did the same for his Uncle. “Fire ... Lord.”

Without another word she turned and rejoined her group that we’re seated across the room.

Zuko sighed, _in relief_ , but caught his uncle staring after the girl. “Uncle? What is it?”

“Nothing.” Iroh shook his head, dislodging his pensive thoughts, and smiled up at his nephew affectionately. “Come, let us enjoy this meal. ‘Gina has outdone herself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Comments are so greatly sought after.


	5. A Lady's Warning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SkepticalBeliever, Ale, KnightOwl247, nzfangirl01, SilverMudblood, Whovian1717, madameriverotter, claireandelide, usherrthaaa, Dawen, TeenyTinyTinker, TheFabulousKilljoy, Kittymo, and circasurvival, thank you all so much for your comments. This next chapter is for you, hope you enjoy!
> 
> special thanks to madameriverotter for the comment on Harm·onious.

As the dinner wore on, Arnook and the other Tribesmen kept their tablemates entertained,  interlaying talks of economic growth and trade with grander stories of past Hunts. That is, they kept the men entertained, the wives and daughters were too well bred not to be disgusted, or too entranced, to put a stop to the story of a man getting his stomach ripped out by a polar bear dog.  

“And you, Lady Katara,” one of the younger sons of the Kazen House seated next to her asked, amber eyes heated with an emotion that made Katara’s skin crawl, “have you ever been on  hunt?”

A memory floated up, like memories were want to do when triggered; mostly forgotten till suddenly clear. Katara was five, or there about, and father was taking her brother Sokka out for his first hunt and she had refused to be left behind.

 _It is still early in the season, Hakoda,_ she remembered her mother's voice laughingly taking her side, _one failed hunt will not cause issue._ She still remembered the shock on everyone’s faces when her father had thrown the spear in the pristine blanket of snow Katara had indicated and dug out a skewered white rabbit-fox. She remembered being so proud of those mitten’s her father had made for her.

Arnook’s seething voice interrupted her thoughts. “We do not allow our women to go out on hunts,” he told the boy in controlled derision. “Their presence disrupts the prey and makes it harder on the men. Their place is in the home.”

Katara fought a sneer. Her tongue clenched between her teeth as several of the earth nobility nod in agreement to the Water Chief's words. It was something she never understood, this faulty reasoning that denied half a people based on perceived inability. In the South every person had a duty to provide for the tribe in whatever capacity they could. Katara’s own mother’s aim with a spear was second to none and before the snows closed in she would go on the last few hunts. Yes it was dangerous but it was no more dangerous then when her father went out. It was how the tribe survived.

The Kazen boy’s eyes rolled over her wishfully once more before he turned back to the other’s conversation, leaving Katara ignored in the room full of people.

After the lengthy meal the guests once more mingled.

There was no hiding the main point of all the pomp and circumstance was to see that the Heir to the Fire Nation got a wife. Noble families from all over the world had gathered with the goal of marrying their eligible daughters into the best position imaginable. And while every girl and her family wanted a crown, anyone who had clung to power through the century long war would not let themselves be blinded to the fact that there were twenty other families vying for it as well. So while all the candidates simpered and flirted with the Crown Prince, their parents were cultivating second or even third avenues into high enough noble houses to cut the sting of not nabbing the golden goose.

Chief Arnook was playing the game one step further. Actively seeking a Fire Noble to give Katara too but, as it was not for something as noble as marriage, he did not have to cast his net on only eligible sons.

“She is rather exotic.” The eyes that raked over Katara were predatory.

The current head of the Kaminari House was here with his wife and four children. Katara had seen them in passing on several occasions as the they had arrived even earlier then she and her people had. The eldest daughter Lady Sai, who was maybe a year older than Katara, was the clan’s candidate. A quiet, reserved beauty that sadly trailed Lady Chou’s and her entourage. He had also brought two other daughters, the youngest being fifteen, both a bit more outgoing then Sai, in hopes of tempting the prince.

The man’s son and heir had also joined the family in the capital. He had the same look in his eye as his father as he and several other young lords prowled the palace.

“She,” Katara growled cooly, feeling her blood boil, “has a name.”

Arnook grabbed her arm, bearing down with considerable pressure. A warning. “My apologies for her behavior,” he smiled conspiratorially with the other man. “She is spirited.”

“Spirited can be fun,” the man raised his cup to his lips, “if it is controlled correctly.”

Fear burned through Katara’s righteous anger. She could _feel_ the liquor in his cup, feel as he swallowed and it rushed down into his stomach. Asking her, _begging_ her, to shape it to her will. To use it in anyway she saw fit.

Nauseous, she tore herself from Arnook’s hold. Uncaring of the eyes that were on her or the people she ran into, she shoved her way though the crowd. Her breath clawing its way out of her throat in ragged pants, vision cutting in and out. One second all she saw was the the bright, elegant, fire nation party where people looked at her and thought ‘barbarian’. The next was the cold, dark stretch of ice where she proved she was one.

She had no idea were she was going knowing only that she needed to put as much distance between herself and the insidious temptation that rolled through her body.

 _Outside,_ the little voice inside her head urged on a calming whisper _._ The rightness of the idea had her stumbling through an exit.

The soft wind brought with it the tang of salt that centered her firmly in the present. The moon hung big and ripe against the black velvet sky and she was thankful she did not have to spend another one of Tui’s nights on the ocean. Katara could still hear the party going on inside but it was so much easier to ignore, the noise further tempered as she stepped off the wooden porch into the tranquility of the flower garden. Closing her eyes Katara tilted her face up relishing in the stillness after so much sensory input.

The blending of past and present sensations, the coolness of the air and the smell of sea in the dark, helped Katara get the best of her anxiety. Allowed her grab hold of the memories and push them down where they were back out of sight. Where she did not have to remember the monster she had let herself become. Was still tempted to become.

“I thought it was only water-benders that felt the moon’s call,” Katara looked up to see Lady Chou sashaying down the stairs into her sanctuary, “but it seems all you people have ties to it. How primitive.”

She was in an elegant amber dress embroidered with hundreds of blood-red roses that accented the curve of her body and matched the color of the tint on her lips. It was a more modern dress, sleeveless with a delicate scooped neckline that showed her arms and collar bone to advantage. Katara had overheard more than one woman growl over its beauty.

“I’m here to offer you some friendly advice.” Her smile was fake, the fury in her eyes was not, as she came to a stop infront of Katara. “You will _never_ marry Prince Zuko. He will marry a Fire Nation woman. You, and all the other women, are here only as a show of good faith. So do not press your luck.”

Katara was rather surprised that the Hotaru candidate was insecure enough to be issuing threats so early in the game.

The Hotarus were a powerful family well known for their firebending. Lady Chou was not recorded as having the power of her ancestors but she was comfortably in the seventh percentile of bending ranks; strong enough to produce small controlled bursts of flames but tired too easily to put forth the energy required for stronger forms. Not that it detracted from her overall score in the marriage mart. With the ties to her house and potential power pass on to future conquerors she was still a decent enough choice for the Crown Prince.

Katara frowned. Why would this woman risk showing her weakness when-- then it hit her, “you do not believe the prince will choose you either, do you?”

It was hard to tell if the lady paled in the faint light but she did lose some of her loveliness as her face contorted in a sneer. “How dare you speak to me like that, you dirty little water peasant.”

Katara sighed. She hoped for his own sake that the Fire Prince chose a mate with more control. Shaking her head she turned away. “Go away, little firefly, I do not have the stomach to be the balm for your ego.”

“You dare to turn your back to me!” There was a hiss and the orange glow of fire cast the bushes of periwinkle flowers in sharp relief.

Katara spun, sinking into a defensive crouch keeping her eyes on her opponent. Reflexively her hands went to her waist but the waterskin she carried for half her life was gone. That brief fumble kept her from destroying all the Water Tribe’s carefully laid plans as a figure stepped out from the shadows.

“Lady Chou!”

“Prince Zuko,” she gasped, quickly dropping her fist and extinguishing the flames as she slapped her gilded mask back into place.  

The prince stepped between the two women, his back mostly to Katara as he glared at his countrywoman. “You know bending is not to be used as a weapon on palace grounds unless you are in an Agni Kai. You also know, as Lady Katara is not a bender, she can not be challenged. What do you have to say for yourself for threatening one of my guests?”

The woman’s mouth gaped like a fish, eyes flickering between Katara and the prince. Any thing she could have said would have only landed her in even hotter waters and she new it.

Katara only wanted this over and done with. Stepping from around his back, she bowed her head to the prince, bringing up her clasped hands inside her trailing silk sleeves. “It was my fault, Fire Prince, I spoke out of turn. Lady Chou was merely defending her honor.”

She turned to the Fire Lily and bowed again. “Lady Chou, I meant no offence with my careless words. I humbly beg your forgiveness.” Katara straightened, a thread of iron lining her voice in a way only another woman would hear. “However if you find the slight too great for forgiveness I would accept your challenge of an Agni Kai. Though I am not a firebender I am skilled in combat. I would bring no shame to either of our names in such a fight.”

As a threat it was well done. Katara was not backing down but giving her opponent the chance to look merciful, while also threatening her with a loss of victory if it came down to it. It could only benefit the both of them if Lady Chou chose to take the white flag and she knew it too.

“No, _Lady_ Katara, the fault is mine.” Though she did not like it, the fire lady accepted the peace flag, her words and smile sickly sweet. “You are _ignorant_ of our culture and I was too quick to anger over an unknown slight. An aspect not fitting to my position as Daughter to the Horatu to a _foreign_ dignitary. Please forgive me.” The fire nation girl bowed, keeping her head a half inch higher than Katara’s, granting herself a higher social rank.

“Without hesitation, Lady Chou.” With a biting smile Katara bowed the exact same height she had done before, showing the girl she saw the shallow bow as the slight it was meant and simply did not care.

“Lady Chou, I’m sure your father is looking for you.” The prince’s voice was coldly proper as he issued the thinly veiled dismissal.

Fire flared in Lady Chou’s eyes. This little bout showed that she was quick to anger and retaliate, a facet not good in a post-war Fire Lady, and her look said she blamed Katara for bringing it out in her. She would need to do a lot of back pedaling to recover the ground she had lost this night with the prince. With a properly executed curtsy, the Horatu’s bridal candidate left without another word.

Once the other woman had disappeared back into the palace the Fire Prince turned to Katara and bowed, head lower than even her’s had been to Lady Chou.

“I am sorry one of mine thought to bring you harm.” Katara looked over him with cool eyes, hoping to hide her discomfort at having anyone bow to her like that. She watched him swallow and realized he was nervous though his voice did not betray him. “If your people would give me the chance to see that this will not happen again, I would consider it a great honor.”

Oh. He was not bowing as a show of respect, he worried about a retaliation from her people. For some reason it was easier to accept that he was trying to placate her, made the guilty feeling in her chest fade.

“Do as you will, the others will hear nothing from me.” She turned from him facing once more the ethereally painted gardens. “I am sure your guests are missing you.”

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him stiffen.

“I am sure you are right.” There was a bite in his voice when he bowed to her again, shallower this time; a prince to a commoner. “I bid you good evening, Lady Kaszka, I mean, Lady _Katara_ _.”_

She listened to his heavy tread up the wooden steps as he marched his way back to the party. Yes, he was well and truly riled. A joyless smile curled her lips with only the moon there to witness it.

* * *

 

The next day signified the start of the pattern that would become the bridal candidate’s lives.  

Morning and evening meals were to be given over to the Crown Prince, a way to get to know the women on an individual basis. Dinners were the more coveted option as they were the longer, typically more formal, meal. The line up was almost solidly saved for the Fire Lilies, a few well connected Earth Kingdom women thrown in for appearances sake. Breakfasts were relegated to everyone else, including Katara who was scheduled for a week and a half away. The morning meal had the tendencies of being rushed as the bridal candidates were set to meet as a group activity at nine in the morning.

Katara was not keen on it, seeing it nothing more than a waste of everyone’s time, though it would keep Arnook’s showings of her relegated to the not already scheduled times. Either the mid-afternoons, the hottest part of the day when few people wanted to be out, or to the early evenings, when everybody who was anyone already had other engagements. She was hopeful the new time constraints would keep that ship in the bay for a while longer. Though she knew that sooner, rather then later, it would put into dock and she would need to deal with it.

The Candidates first activity as a group had been a walk through the gardens, for which the palace had a plethora. As they walked through the flowers, the women played one up-man games between themselves to keep the prince’s attention, flirting shamelessly when they had it.

Katara had distanced herself from that, more fascinated by the plants. There was a forest deep in the High North but, just like the spirit oasis, it was a sacred place not meant for humans. Here the sheer variety of flowers and of food producing plants was mind boggling.

Nivedita, the serving woman that had first made Katara feel welcome in the palace, was one of the dozen attendants there to fetch drinks and hold umbrellas for the nobility. She was kind enough to trail after answering all of the questions the young water tribe girl had that she could. When one of the other Ladys called her off to run an errand she left her in the capable hands of her cousin, Shanna, who was far more knowledgeable on the carefully tended plots of kitchen vegetables and rows of fruit trees.

The next day was a quick guided tour through the palace led by the the prince himself. And by quick, Katara was sure there were some points where his rapid pace had forced a few of the Lilies into a jog to keep up. He pointed out the sights, spewing historically significant trivia as fast as he could mouth the words. Not that he gave the other candidates time to actually look at the pieces with the pace he set. The few questions some of the more courageous women ventured to ask were curtly answered as he marched them past.

The pieces he brought to notice were all ones Katara had seen before. Tapestries, vases, and few ornate ceremonial pieces of armor and weaponry that were in the main clutch of the very public Entrance Hall. She knew there were more interesting items deeper in the palace, protected more by their obscure locations then any security measure. Like the Dragon Fang blade that held a place of honor in the library. The tapestry that hung above the War Room, hundreds of years old but still so vibrant in color, that told the story of a fallen star that created the Fire Islands and the First People. (The Water Tribe had a similar story passed down in the oral tradition. Though in theirs it was a piece of the moon that fell and gave the great orca’s, animals touched by Tui and La, the ability to transform themselves to live on shore.) Or the jade teapot that was painstakingly carved with the visage of a coiling dragon, the marker claiming it predated the first Fire Lord, that sat in a sheltered alcove in the west wing.

Instead of even hinting at any of these, the prince made a tight circle going only a hallway deeper than the foyer before depositing them in the same place. The women were shocked when after the fifteen minute sprint he bowed himself out claiming urgent business.

Katara was happy with the extra few hours this early breakup gave her before Arnook began to wonder where she was.

Breakfast on the third day came with a note.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what your favorite part is so far!


	6. Hidden Embers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Sandra, Polaris, TeenyTinyTinker, KnightOwl247, claireandelide for your comments. And even bigger thanks to midnightqueen6 for being willing to answer my question.

The missive was delivered by the same black robed man that had lead Katara to the library, handing it directly to her with a bow.

Arrangements had been made for the candidates to visit the city with the prince. Everyone was to meet in the Eastern courtyard before nine that morning. Lunch was being provided at an eating house in town, with the group set to return at three hours after noon. This was just for the candidates, the note was quick to outline, no family or personal attendants were permitted to join. It was signed not by the scrawl Katara had come to know as the prince’s but in the elegant hand of the Dragon of the West, General Iroh, and marked with the Fire Lord’s emblem making it more a royal decree then an invitation.

Before Katara could even sit down to eat, Arnook and the others ordered her to make ready in her best hanfu. The men all disregarded the fact that it was also the heaviest and the hottest of her new wardrobe, meant for sedentary dinners not traipsing though the market in the middle of the day, and that the designated time was still over two hours away. She was evicted from the suite of rooms immediately after dressing.

Surprisingly enough she was not the first to arrive at the meeting space. Several other Ladies, a handful each of earth and fire, were sitting on provided benches waiting as servants got the four carriages ready to depart. Katara stood apart from them, the early morning humidity that promised another hot day and her hunger making her temper too volatile for socializing.

A new rush of activity signified the nine o’clock deadline as the milling women migrated towards the carriages. Katara would have hung back, letting the others pick the seats they wanted and taking what was left, except the man she recognized as the Crown Prince’s shadow Takumi came to direct her to the other side of the third carriage.

The prince stood there, helping the Lady Sai inside.

Katara faltered, pressing back against the assistant's guiding hand. When he made to urge her forward, she resisted.

“Lady Katara,” Takumi’s voice bordered on exasperated, “as a representative of the Water Nation, you have the honor--”

Finished with Lady Sai the prince stepped forward, shooting Takumi a withering glare as he took Katara’s hand and bowed over it. “ _I_ have the honor of riding with you into my city,” he offered her his arm, “if you would please join me?”

The whole courtyard seemed to hold its breath as Katara still hesitated. She could feel the eye’s of the women not already loaded on her. There were two options. She could accept the prince’s arm and become enemy number one for all the candidates. Or she could refuse, cause an international conflict and harm her People’s future in the process.

With clenched teeth she laid her fingers on his sleeve.

It cooled her temper slightly when she felt the tension in his body, sensing he disliked the necessary political jockeying just as much as she did. She was in a poor enough mood to want to feed off the Fire Prince’s frustration.

“I take you are to blame for our _long,_ fun filled afternoon.” She spoke softly, keeping her face bland even though her words were pointed.

Back safely turned to their audience, he risked a dark glare down at her from the corner of his eye but refrained from replying as he handed her up into the carriage. He glanced both ways to make sure everyone else was loaded before joining her inside.

Katara’s travel mates, besides the prince, were Lady Sai and Lady Mirri, representatives from the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom respectively. They both nodded politely at her but did not engage her in conversation. Not that she made herself at all open to it, grabbing the far window seat and turning her back to them to watch the courtyard instead.

Settling in, Katara wondered how long it would be before the other families began screaming foul when, as the only Water tribe candidate, she spent the most time with the prince. Knowing she had a snowball's chance of becoming the next Fire Lady, the families snipping would come because she would be taking up potential time their precious darling’s could be using to work their wiles.

Before the carriage doors shut two palace guards joined them inside, taking the empty places beside the Crown Prince, filling out the occupancy numbers. As they rolled out Katara noticed the other vehicles were outfitted with two external guards each, one riding with the driver and the other on the small platform in the back.

She frowned, thinking that if her math was correct, that made for a total of ten guards. With the majority of the candidates, only two of the earth girls and Katara not, claiming bending and the prince, three or four guards would be more than sufficient for a friendly shopping trip. Ten guards was veritably an army.

Her anxiety heightened when once they left the protective wall of the palace the closely-packed bamboo blinds were dropped to cover the windows. The other women did not seem to notice the new thread of tension, choosing to talk quietly among themselves when the prince did not accept their early overtures for conversation.

Frowning, she glanced at the prince. He seemed just as relaxed as the girls, _if_ one did not know to look for the stiff shoulders and the constant analyzing roam of his eyes. He caught her stare.

‘ _What’s wrong,’_ her hand flickered in the subtle military gesture.

He looked startled, shooting a look at the other nobles. Seeing they were both still distracted he eased back on the padded bench forcing his shoulders to relax. ‘ _Nothing,’_ he signaled back.

Katara raised a brow, flickering a look at the two guards who held themselves at the ready, eyes trained on the slim amount of landscape they could see, before daring him to lie to her again.

He frowned, jaw tight. ‘ _Clear,_ ’ he signed, then, almost hesitant, _‘just ready.’_

With pinched lips she let it drop but kept her own eyes on the lookout, having lived too long in the middle of a war to dismiss the air of potential danger.

When the carriage finally came to a stop, there was a long minute of near silence until the door on the left was opened from the outside. The guard riding closest stepped out first but Katara, on the full opposite side of the vehicle, pushed past the prince to be the next one out knowing her anxiety would not dissipate until she got the lay of the land.

The market was crowded, only the immediate area surrounding the carriages was clear because of the ring of guards. More than one pedestrian glared at them for having stopped in the middle of the road because they were forced to go around. Nothing overtly seemed to be a problem but their group was tense and watchful.

A strong arm wrapped around her from behind, dragging her back and tucking her against the side of the carriage

“Lady Katara,” the prince said in a controlled snarl at the level of her ear, his body shielding her view of the market, “when we reach a destination, someone will open the door and guide you to the ground at the first opportunity. Until that happens, please, refrain from shoving yourself past people trying to do their job and remain put.”

As he scolded her his head was on a swivel. Over his shoulder Katara could see him lock eyes with an older man in the red armor of the palace guard, who, catching the princes eye, nodded once decisively.

Like a water bladder being cut, the tension rippling off the prince left him in a gush. Even the guards seemed more relaxed with the man’s reassurance, still on alert but without their earlier intensity. The Crown Prince pointedly stepped back from Katara, turning back to the carriage to help Lady Mirri and Sai out with a charming smile as if nothing at all had just occurred.

 _Nothing did,_ Katara thought spitefully as she remained were she was, pressed against the side of the carriage with her arms folded defensively across her stomach. She was annoyed with her heart for pounding so hard even after the potential for danger had passed.

When all the candidates were handed down from vehicles, the man the prince had looked too stepped forward raising his voice to be heard over all the noise.

“My ladies, I am Lieutenant Masaru, second in command of the Palace Guard.” He bowed to the group. On principle alone Katara distrusted the feeling of security the man gave her.

“I and my people,” the Lieutenant continued as he straightened, “are here to see that you get the best out of your visit to Capital City. In that goal, a rule I ask you follow as we move through the shops, please take care not to get too far ahead or behind the main group. If you do happen to get separated, for whatever reason, make your way to the Jade Dragon. They will see you get back in touch with us. Any concerns you have, please direct them to me or a guard.”

The prince stepped forward then, a winning smile on his face, “where would we like to start?”

* * *

 

Mindful of Master Masaru’s words to keep pace with everyone, Katara choose to break for the head of the group, then let everyone trickle past as she slowly perused the stalls till she was once more met by the rear guards before sling-shotting herself back to the front to start the process over again. She had started out the morning determined to hate everything. So it was more than frustrating when, despite the heat, her rumbling stomach, and the heavy untreated silk of her dress that made her skin itch, and the mass of strange people, Katara started enjoying herself in less then a hour.

There was just so much to see. Anything her mind could conceive, and dozens of things it could not, were for sale in this market. One shop sold chunks of swirling no-melt ice, called 'glass', made into delicate cups, palm-sized animals, and everything in between. Another stall sold paper and Katara was shocked by the variety, colors, and textures available. A full dozen sellers were jewelry makers, catering to everything from carved stone to woven gold.

There was one point when Katara was caught in the middle of the group. Instead of them flowing or checking out different shops, they all converged on three stalls of fabric, the bulk of which were in thousands of shades of red from drop-of-blood-in-a-field-of-snow to only-the-sun-could-tell-the-difference-from-black. The women oohed and awed over each find. Katara was intrigued but let herself float around it and would have passed by entirely if her eye had not caught on a small pile of cloth in the corner.

On their own her feet moved towards the small pile of blue fabric. Hesitantly, reverently, her fingers ghosted over the one on top that had called to her. She knew it was not the same, knew in her memories the material had been tanned animal skin and not thin silk, but it was the exact color of dusky blue that was her mother’s everyday dress. Katara wanted to lay her face against it, to catch the elusive scent that floated just out of reach, to remember what _home_ and _safe_ smelled like.

“Let me guess,”  the prince grumbled over her shoulder, “you want a present, too?”

She jerked her hand back as if burned. Anger, fear, resentment, and sadness rolled into an emotion that Katara had no name for. Refusing to answer the Fire Prince, she turned and walked away without a word.

That was the end of Katara’s enjoyment of the day.

The Fire Nation had taken _everything_ from her. And not just her, they had tried to destroy the world with their greed and need to corrupt. And here she was in the very center of that sickness, in the heart of the Capital City, complacently following the Heir of the Nation though what likely was the spoils of his father’s warmongering. She felt dirty for having touched it, for having _enjoyed_ it.

She consoled herself with her purpose in this place. The reason why she was allowing herself to be led by the neck like an arctic-hippo to slaughter was because that’s what she was; she would die so that her people would live.

The sun continued to climb, so did the temperature. Katara stayed stubbornly at the end of the procession, locked in her melancholy. The guards made concessions for her flagging pace, keeping her within their protective circle but making sure she did not fall too far behind.

The scent of frying things made Katara’s hunger pains kick up in intensity as they entered the part of the market that housed the cooking stalls. It seemed she was not alone in her want of food. Several of the Ladies started cajoling the prince into buying, little things for them to nibble on before lunch; cut watermelon, small sweets, meat kebabs. The Council had not thought to give Katara any money and she would be twice damned before she thought to flutter her lashes at the prince.

Growing more and more annoyed each stomping step she had to take behind the tightly guarded party, making up nasty little conversations in her head to account for everyone's fake smiles and pouty lips. Almost too wrapped up in her petty thoughts it took a second to realize the small keening sound was not her conscience.  

Pausing in the sweltering street Katara looked around.

The guard trailing her paused as well. “Lady Katara, is there--” he started only to be silence when she put a finger to her lips, honing in on the noise beneath the layers of other traffic. A child, its heartfelt cries making her own chest tighten in sympathy. The urge to help was overwhelming.

“My lady, you need to stay with the group,” the guard cautioned when she moved in the direction of the bawling.

Katara waved him off, “I will catch up.”

“My lady--” She did not wait for another softly issued command, slipping instead into the jostle of the crowd not thinned by the presence of guards.

Ducking between a pair of clay and timber buildings she stepped from the public market into the residential. The tall smooth surfaces of the buildings carried sound in odd ways, echoing in conflicting directions, so it took a few more turns to find the correct alley. Here the hustle was diminished, only the locals knowing enough of the labyrinth that was the inner city not to get turned around.

A woman, maybe a handful of years older than Katara, stood over a young child in the throws of a heated tantrum. She was trying to sooth her erratic son, a baby swaddled and tied to her chest and two baskets filled at her feet. From their clothes Katara could tell they were fire nation citizens. Not that she had been expecting anything else, she was in the capital after all.

They had not seen her yet, she could just turn and walk--

Her nails cut into her palm, disgusted with herself for even having the thought. Was she really going to leave this woman and her children just because they were fire nation? Beyond being born in this city, Katara doubted either the two babes or their mother had ever been apart of the war. Their hands were not the ones stained with blood.

“Ma’am?” Katara said as not to add to the mother’s frazzled state by startling her. The woman looked up, a protective hand automatically going to shield the baby on her chest as she angled her body to guard the little boy on the ground. “Is there something I can do for you?”

“I-- It’s just--” tears flooded her amber eyes as her bottom lip trembled, “he wont stop crying. I don’t know what to do.”

“It is okay,” Katara soothed. Moving forward she laid a gentle hand on the mother’s shoulder, eyes quickly glancing over the child who had thrown himself down and was sobbing into the ground.

“May I touch him?” she asked the mother. She looked hesitant but nodded her consent, settling the baby on her chest who was beginning to fuss because of its brother’s distress.

Katara crouched in front of the boy. The little tyke’s face was bright red as snot dripped down his face with his tears.

“His name?” Katara asked.

“Otoko,” the mother replied softly still rocking the child that would accept her comfort.

“Otoko,” Katara said, voice kind but firm. “I am Katara. We are going to sit you up now.”

He fussed, fighting her, but she was persistent, gently guiding him up out of the dirt. She used the long sleeve of her dress to wipe the dirt and snot from his face. Upright, his crying turned into hiccuping sobs.

“Can you tell me if something hurts?” she asked the child softly.

“He’s not really talking yet,” the mother said apologetically. “I’m not sure he understands.”

Katara nodded to show she heard but kept her attention on the boy. “I am going to pick you up now,” she said, holding her hands out in the universal sign to children. He tipped forward into her hold, calming down enough to seek the contact.

Gathering him close she hiked him to her shoulder as she stood. Alternating between rubbing and patting his back she hummed softly, finding the rhythm that would work with his small body. He fussed, still hurting, as he buried his face into her neck with a whimper.

Closing her eyes she envisioned his small body like the test mannequins from her training. There were no female waterbenders, only Healers; a narrative steeped in tradition by the North. Being a female with the Touch of La, Katara had spent the majority of her time in the healing huts as she had an aptitude for the art. Letting her thumping hang glide over the child’s back she traced the chi lines looking for what was out of the natural flow.

Coming to large knot right in his center she began trying to untangle it, pulling gently to straighten out the blockage. Anchored somewhere between the physical and the corporeal worlds, she frowned when she broke out in a full body sweat. She had traced chi lines many, many times before. So why was her body acting as if she was doing something wrong, something evil-- ,

_\--She was laying flat on her back on the ice. The full moon outlining the dark shape above her and turning the single drop of blood on his cheek into a dazzling ruby that called for her to reach out and touch--_

On a gasp Katara came back to herself, shivering despite the heat, holding onto the boy that clung to her so trustingly. _This is not the same_ , she told herself firmly, rubbing her cheek against his dark hair, breathing in the scent of baby that was starting to dissipate but still clung to him. _Healing is not evil_.

Breathing deeply she focused on that thought, on the warm body that she held over her heart. She went back to her tapping, centering her actions to where she felt the knotting, keeping a tighter rein on her own energy refusing to let any of her darkness taint this innocent. It took some working but the lines finally came out of their tangle.

She was rewarded for her efforts with a gush of warm, heavy, dampness all down her back. The smell of sour bile wafted up to her.

“Oh, my lady,” the woman said in a horrified voice, ”your dress.”

“Nothing soap and water wont fix,” Katara said softly, the boy was already going boneless in her arms. Tipping Otoko forward she smiled kindly down at the child as she wiped his mouth with the ruined hanfu before switching him to her other shoulder so he would not get in the sick. She smiled over at the woman. “May I help you home? He should rest.”

Katara was already bending to pick up one of the baskets but it was taken out from under her hand. About to lay into anyone who thought to take things that did not belong to them she looked up to see the guard she had thought she had left behind.

She raised a questioning brow. Glancing away he shrugged before bending and picking up the other basket before the mother could shift her weight to pick it up herself. He bowed to the Fire Nation woman, “if you would lead the way, demoiselle?”

She blushed but accepted the help.

“You should have stayed with the prince,” Katara told the guard once they were underway.

“Either way, you damned me.” They both kept their voices down, mindful of the dozing toddler. “Stay with the group and be punished for letting you go off on your own. Or follow you and be reprimanded for leaving my post. If I was going to get in trouble anyway I thought I might as well chose the path I could live with.” He gave her a rye smile and she realized just how young he really was. “Though, you could have saved me the trouble and just stayed put.”

Katara looked down at the boy in her arms remembering the sobs that had echoed through the market. “No, I could not have.”

The guard followed her eyes. “No, you couldn’t’ve,” he agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love hearing your feelings on the story! Things you liked, thought and questions you have, things people are confused about. The more feed back I have the easier it is for me to write! Thank you!!!!


	7. The Fire Dragon's Table

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you midnightqueen6, Kattykat521, Thymolphthalein, Emily_Elizabeth_Rose, MikaBabe, KnightOwl247, TeenyTinyTinker, ShinyDecapod, goalphabeticalorder, SilverMudblood, Morgan, claireandelide, bebrezzy91, and Whitewalker2003. 
> 
> btw, my favorite part have been the Iroh dandelion/tea scene (planned) and Katara greeting the owl spirit at the library (not planned).
> 
> ** made some edits. Nothing major except there are now a total of 18 bridal candidates.

The females were driving Zuko mad.

Everywhere he went a pack of them were waiting to run him to ground. One would think that giving up two meals and the majority of one’s mornings would be enough for the hunters. But no, they still insisted on stealing even more of his time. Conveniently bumping into him in hallways and offering to walk with him, perfectly timed twisted ankles that required his help getting them to _their_ destination. It was getting to the point where he was skulking around his own palace to keep under their radar.

It was humiliating.

A week into the bridal endeavor, after a disaster filled afternoon of meetings, Zuko was relieved when he had been able to slip into his rooms undetected. The two guards bowed and opened the door for him. At the sound of the solid wood closing behind Zuko let out a deep sigh, the exhaustion of the day pulling at his shoulders. He wanted nothing more than to stretch out naked on his bed and ignore the world for one night of full, uninterrupted, deep sleep.

It was a pipe dream though and he knew it. Servants were already setting up the evening meal and the guest of honor would be arriving within the hour. Not enough time for a nap but plenty of time to change and make a small dent in the mountain of paperwork waiting for him before she arrived.

Zuko didn’t care for the fact that both the morning and evening meals with the candidates were served in his room. He would have much prefered to have them in the more formal dining hall. His uncle had pointed out that, at standard, the dining hall could easily seat two hundred, and the point of these particular meals were to get to know the women. That meant letting them into his personal territory, seating them across from him at the low table, and talking to them over the food.

‘Forced intimacy’ his Uncle called it. Zuko understood the ‘forced’ part but if anything the meals were an ordeal. The women thus far fell into two groups: the ones that blushed and giggled the whole time and the ones that looked at him as if he were the designated main course.

Instead of having to play court to the passel of candidates he wished he could get back to work on the things that really mattered, like running his country. Uncle thought this was important though and Zuko respected his counsel. It wasn’t as if things were going well in the ‘running the country' department either.

There were twenty-four representatives that made up the governing body of the Fire Nation. The issues arose from that each one seemed to have their own way on how things should be run. His Uncle, as head of the Kasai House, deferred to Zuko in all things even though he was currently the Regent. A few other members had taken Iroh’s lead, going so far to acknowledge the heir’s point of view before putting forth their own. The others seemed to discount everything Zuko said as if he didn’t have the brains to rub two thoughts together as they vied against one another to try and push forward their own agenda. Then they tisked and scolded if Zuko demanded their attention as if he were a child throwing a tantrum.

Once he was crowned Fire Lord that would all change, he thought menacingly. When he became Fire Lord in truth they would have to listen to him. Until then he would keep his calm and finish the hunt for a wife that would stand beside him.

As a servant helped him take off the stiff leather mantle, Zuko tried to remember who was going to be there for his perusal this night. Lady Faunten? A second daughter to a prominent earth family and three years his junior. She enjoyed watercoloring. No, she was set later in the week.

It was Lady Zemara he decided as he sat behind his desk separating documents that needed his immediate attention with those he could look at when he had more time. Eldest daughter of the Ohisama House her firebending was considered one of the hallmarks of the clan. She was a high choice of the Fire Sage’s, the Temple of Spirit was situated on her home island. There was something about her though that set off Zuko’s warning bells. Powerful, beautiful, and intense, she reminded him of a more outgoing Mai, his once intended fiance.

He felt a pang in his chest remembering the somber, quiet girl from his childhood. After spending most of his life knowing they were going to be married and learning the hidden facets of her personality, not all of them good, Zuko considered himself half in love with her. He had been so naive, so sure things were going to go on exactly as they were planned. And now she was dead.

Zuko dug his fingers into the ache that settled into his left eye. Agni, it felt like a lifetime since he first heard the news of the failed uprising that had cost both his ex-betrothed and his sister’s life. Rubbing his face he sighed, getting back to his paperwork. Just because things had changed from their designated course didn’t mean Zuko had the luxury of letting things fall by the way side.

Tonight he would have dinner with Lady Zumara and, regardless of any personal trepidation, if she was the best choice for his country he would make her the next Fire Lady. If she was not, he still had another ten Houses to choose a mate from.

 

Zuko nearly snarled at the servant who came to tell him of his guest’s arrival. He was in the middle of reading a legal appeal sent in by the Jang Hui village, a small fishing hamlet situated in the middle of the river of the same name. They were asking for restitution, claiming that the pollution being poured into the river by the near by military factor was destroying their way of life. Fish spawns were dying out, people were getting sick, and there was no money for repairs or to move.

At the lowered eyes of the attendant, Zuko reeled himself back in. It wasn’t the maid’s fault that there were people out there, _his_ people, that needed help. Zuko thanked the servant, who bowed hesitant before returning to her task, and took a full minute to collect himself before he walked into the main portion of the suite. It wasn’t the Lady Zumara’s fault either he reasoned, that he was constantly being forced to stop and play host. He had made the invitation, she had accepted; placing blame would not help anyone and would only make more hurt feelings.

“My Lady, thank you for joining me--,” the practiced words were already falling from his lips when he stepped into the room, so it was a punch in the gut when the red garbed woman turned and speared him with her dazzling blue gaze. His eyes narrowed. “You.”

Lake Katzka --er, Katara raised a delicately arched brow at the less-than-diplomatic sneer on her host’s face.

“Good evening, Crown Fire Prince.” She bowed, her completely proper greeting setting Zuko’s teeth on edge as it only highlighted his own rudeness.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded.

Zuko couldn’t put an exact finger on it but there was a distinct note of annoyance in her carefully maintained serenity. “I was told to be here.”

“By whom?” he pressed, not putting it past her to make him look stupid again. Wouldn’t it be just great if he affronted one of his own people by seeming to double book her with this water nation girl.

“A note signed by the Regent.” Her eyes were frosty but she kept her tone tightly reigned in.

Her composer irked him. His smile was all teeth when he asked, ever so saccharine, “you wouldn’t happen to have that on you, would you?”

The air itself became cool when she leveled her eyes on him, looking ready to rip him a new one. He waited with bated breath for such an explosion knowing he could use such ungrateful behavior to send her away.

But she did something unexpected. Without another word she turned and marched for the door. Zuko frowned, wondering what her game was. The servants must have been confused as well because no one rushed forward to open it for her before she stormed out.

His jaw dropped. Did she just leave? She couldn’t just leave. She had to make a scene and _he_ had to be the one to send her away. If she just up and left it put him in the weaker position of having his behavior questioned. Why a woman, whose sole purpose in coming here was to marry him, couldn’t stand to remain in his presence.

‘Just let her go,’ his mind hissed even though he knew he couldn’t and stomped after her. She was already turning the corner when he stepped into the hall.

“Lady Katara,” he shouted. He knew she heard him but she blithely continued on,  ignoring him completely. His temper spiked at being forced to march after her. Zuko had already made too many public missteps with this particular candidate and, that he couldn’t smooth things with another water nation woman, made keeping up appearances with this one just that much more important.

He growled under his breath, trying not to think how undignified he looked chasing after the woman, already choking on the apology he knew he would have to give.

“Lady Katara,” close enough now he reached out to touch her arm, wanting to stop her and get her to face him--

Suddenly he was flying through the air.

Nearly twenty years of combative training made sure that he rolled when he landed, gaining his feet nearly as fast as she had tossed him. Instinct sent him into a defensive crouch as he faced his opponent, only to see she was mirroring him. They froze, shocked, as their brains snapped back on.

She was the first one to straighten, her arm’s falling limply at her sides in their heavy sleeves. Her shoulders remained rigid. “What do you want, Fire Prince?”

Her body language clearly stated she was not going to bring up what just happened and her look dared him to comment.

Fine with him, if she wasn’t going to apologize then neither would he.

“I’m here to escort you to dinner, my lady.” He offered his arm in an elegant manner as his eyes dared her right back. If she was committed to playing this game they could act as if this second was their first meeting of the night.

Looking at his hand as if it were diseased, her glared very nearly turned into a sneer when she flicked her eyes up to meet his. She did not take him up on his escort but she did spin on her heel and glide back up the hall towards his rooms.

Fighting a victorious smile he folded his arms behind his back as he trailed behind her.

They were almost in sight of his door when she dropped back to walk beside him, looping her arm through his. He raised a brow, questioning her sudden change in demeanor. She huffed through her nose, rolling her eyes, before pointedly looking at the two guards that were pretending not to watch them walk back.

Zuko sighed, frustrated with the constant need to keep up appearances and annoyed that others had seen the theatrics they were both pretending hadn't happened. At least they hadn’t seen her throw him, he didn’t think his pride could take the additional blow tonight.

He deposited Lady Katz--Katara on her side of the table before throwing himself on his own pillow across from her. Taking this as their cue, the servants started bringing out dish after dish of steaming food. All Fire Nation delicacies. Only the best for the Prince and his potential bride.

Zuko snorted at the thought.

He poured the tea, placing a full cup before his guest. Having fulfilled the very basic of niceties he turned to serving himself from the bowls laid out before them. It had been a long time since breakfast and his tight schedule had not permitted lunch so he was ravanis.

Out of the corner of his eye Zuko watch as the lady picked up her tea and sniffed at it. Scrunching up that little button nose of hers she quickly returned the cup to the table untasted.

He mentally rolled his eyes at the finickiness of women. Jaya Nidhi, the Earth Kingdom candidate he had breakfast with three mornings ago, would not eat anything green. Lady Kimiko had complained at every bite that nothing matched up to the food her personal chef made at Kazen House.

Lady Katara further confused him though when, instead of following him in filling her plate, she pushed it aside and set a book in its place.

Zuko paused in the process of scooping date filled saffron rice. While the others had been picky, they _had_ joined him in the meal. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“No.” She flipped the book open.

Setting down the serving spoon he sat back, frowning. “Then why did you join me for dinner?”

“I was told to be here,” she repeated absently, searching through the pages.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“Yes,” she hummed finding her place and settling in to read.

“Then why don’t you eat?” he made a sweeping gesture encompassing the food that could easily feed a family of six.

She half shrugged, “it is spicy.”

He blinked, pulling up everything he knew about this particular candidate which wasn’t very much. “I thought you liked spicy foods.”

Her eyes flickered up to look at him from under dark lashes before returning to the book, “no.”

“Then why did you say you did?” he snarled, not liking that it felt like he had just been scolded.

“I did not.” Not even bothering to look up this time as she turned the page.

“Yes you did,” he insisted, rage crisping the memory, “at the welcoming party.”

“No.” She straightened folding her arms across the book as she leaned forward, a bite to her own words. “I made a statement that you took for agreement.” Her eyes turned cutting, “you do that a lot.”

Zuko physically bit his tongue, something he found he had to do with more and more regularity in his life. He did not like it. He did permit himself a glare. She simply glared back before returning to her book.

If she was going to ignore him he would returned the favor ten fold. He stabbed at his plate, shoving the food in his mouth. What did he care if she starved herself? It wasn’t as if he was denying her sustenance, he though eyes raking the groaning table. If she was going to be stubborn abou--

A grumble followed by a long gurgle broke through the tense silence.

Zuko’s head shot up, locking on the source of the noise. Katara’s fists were clenched on the table, face beat red, eyes wide as she stared unseeingly down at her book, mortified.

He snorted and, trying to cover up the sound, broke out into a laugh, then a cackle until he was bent over clutching his side.

The table jumped as Katara slammed the book closed and surged to her feet.

“No, wait,” Zuko said, still chuckling, as he reached out to catch her arm.

Spinning she latched on his restraining hand. Muscle memory kicked in as Zuko countered, getting her into an elbow lock before she could break his finger. Off balance, half sitting as he was, he was in the worst possible position when she stepped into him, taking the pressure off her arm at the same time she took the both of them to the ground in a tangle of red silk.

Landing as purposeful dead weight she used her shoulder to drive the air from his lungs and break out of his hold. Zuko just managed to catch the elbow strike she sent for his face, using her momentum to roll them over so he was the one on top. Rearing back, he barely missed the swipe of her clawed hand going for his eyes, grabbing the arm and pinning it to her chest. A flood of liquid hit him in the face momentarily blinding him but he was able to catch her other hand and lock it down with the first, keeping him from receiving any more damage while he couldn’t see.

“I commend you, Lady Katara,” Zuko panted exhilarated, using his shoulder to rub the spilt tea their flailing had caused from his eyes. “You most definitely would have made a good showing against Lady Chou.” Vision clear he smiled down at her, wanting to share the elation of a good fight.

Her face was as pale as he’d ever seen it, pupils blown wide and nostrils fluttering with her too fast breathing.

“Get off me,” she snarled as he felt her tremble in his hold.

Sick to his stomach Zuko let her go, scrambling back until he ran into the table and could go no further. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean--”

Without a word her look reduced him to silence.

She gained her feet, every movement tightly controlled. Not sparing him another glance as she sailed from the room regal as a queen.

He set his teeth against the beginnings of a panic attack, selflothing curling in his belly as the door shut so softly behind her. He hadn’t meant any harm, he tried to reassure himself, but it didn’t fix the fact that the lady had no way of knowing that.

Agni, the fear in her eyes gutted him.

He had _promised_ himself he would never make anyone look upon him the way they had his father. He still remembered being on his knees looking up at the man that was supposed to protect him and begging him for forgiveness. Remembered believing for years after that he deserved the punishment he had received at the hands of the mad man.

Zuko’s fist hit the table. The empty tea cups jumped, tipping over. Burying his face in his hand, he dug his fingers into the aching flesh of his scar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your support!
> 
> Okay folks, since we are getting deeper into these two's mental health issues (and the things that caused them) should I add some warnings in the tags? I don't want people to turn away from my story because of something I put in the tags but I also don't want people to have an upset from reading. Would adding warnings at the start of individual chapters be sufficient?
> 
> This chapter's question: Any tags I should add and/or warnings to previous chapters. 
> 
> Also, let me know what you think about the story thus far ;)


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